From the time Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail on September 13 last year, his entire focus has been on fine-tuning an electoral strategy to take on the BJP juggernaut.

Although this is only an assembly election, Kejriwal knows he is pitted against none other than Prime Minister Modi, who is once again leading the BJP’s electoral campaign from the front. In recent elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Modi adopted a relatively low profile. This is not the case in the capital. In his maiden electoral speech at the Parivartan Rally in Delhi on January 5, Modi described the AAP government as a “ten-year-long disaster,” urging the public to rid themselves of this perceived “aapda” (disaster).

The AAP is equally combative, pointing out how the BJP lacks a leader of stature to challenge Kejriwal, forcing them to rely on Modi as their tried-and-tested electoral icon. According to a recent C-Voter tracker, AAP is ahead of the BJP, with 45.4% of respondents favoring the jhadoo (broom) against 36% preferring the lotus.

Has AAP proved a disaster for Delhi’s people? This youthful party, led by a younger generation of straightforward leaders, has always irked Modi. Ever since........

© Free Press Journal