In a heated exchange of accusations, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma referred to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as a "chor" (thief) during a poll rally in New Delhi on Tuesday. Sarma criticized Kejriwal for what he called a lack of political integrity, accusing him of shifting alliances for personal gain.
"Arvind Kejriwal started his political career against the Congress, and now he is sitting in their lap for his political benefits," Sarma said. "Kejriwal has no political philosophy. He himself is a thief, but he claims others are thieves."
Meanwhile, Kejriwal, during a roadshow in Haryana's Pehowa on Tuesday, made bold predictions about the BJP's prospects in the upcoming elections. Addressing supporters, Kejriwal claimed the BJP is losing ground across the country and will not win more than 230 seats.
"In the entire country, the situation is turning against them. BJP is losing badly. In Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Bihar, UP, West Bengal, Delhi, and Punjab, their seats are coming down. Nowhere is there an increase in their seats," Kejriwal stated.
Kejriwal's remarks came during his first visit to Haryana after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. During the roadshow, Kejriwal alleged that his arrest was an attempt by the BJP to prevent him from campaigning.
"On March 16, elections were announced. On March 21, they sent me to jail. This means they wanted Kejriwal to not campaign. They are scared of Kejriwal," he said.
Kejriwal also attacked the Modi government, accusing it of losing touch with the people and urging Haryana's citizens to lead a revolution to unseat the BJP-led alliance from the Centre. "History is witness, whenever there has been a revolution in the country, it has started from the brave land of Haryana," he proclaimed.
The Delhi CM criticized the BJP for its handling of the farmers' protests and the alleged mistreatment of women wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India's former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He also called out the BJP for making false promises, such as depositing Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's account and creating two crore jobs annually, which he claimed never materialized.
Kejriwal concluded by defending his tenure's accomplishments, including improvements in schools, healthcare, and utilities, and stated that his imprisonment was a consequence of his governance successes.
Voting for Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats will occur in the sixth phase of the general election on May 25, with AAP contesting the Kurukshetra seat and Congress contesting the remaining nine seats.
