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Amid protests led by women from Punjab outside his Delhi residence, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the Congress and BJP, accusing them of working in alliance to oppose his party.
"Congress should not worry about us," Mr Kejriwal said. "Those women belong to their (Congress and BJP) party. They have not come from Punjab, the women in Punjab are with us. They have faith in AAP. Congress and BJP should officially announce that they are contesting elections together against AAP in Delhi."
Dismissing the Congress, the former Delhi Chief Minister said, "Don't take Congress seriously."
Mr Kejriwal claimed that AAP's governance model has consistently delivered on promises, citing free water supply to over 12 lakh families in Delhi as a case in point. However, he alleged that issues arose in his absence, resulting in exorbitant water bills for many residents. "I want to publicly and officially announce that those who think their bills are wrong, they need not pay. Wait for the elections; AAP will form the government, and we will waive off those wrong bills," he promised.
Women from Punjab accused the AAP-led Punjab government of not fulfilling its pre-election promise to provide Rs 1,000 per month to every woman in the state. The protesters allege that AAP has prepared similar welfare schemes for women in Delhi ahead of assembly elections in the national capital scheduled this year. AAP's Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana in Delhi proposes a Rs 2,100 monthly stipend for women over 18.
Congress which has struggled to regain political ground in Delhi, capitalised on the protests to highlight AAP's alleged failures. "Just like AAP deceived the women of Punjab, they are now planning to deceive the women of Delhi," Congress said in a statement, urging Delhi voters not to fall for "false promises," claiming that the party's 15 years of governance had transformed the capital's "image, direction, and condition."
The controversy surrounding AAP's welfare schemes was intensified after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered an inquiry into allegations of unauthorised data collection for the Mahila Samman Yojana. The scheme, meant to register women for benefits, has been clouded by claims that private individuals were gathering personal details without official sanction.
The BJP today announced its first list of candidates for the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. Pervesh Verma has been fielded against Mr Kejriwal from in the New Delhi constituency while Ramesh Bidhuri will take on Atishi in Kalkaji. AAP secured a landslide victory in the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats.