assembly-elections

Updated: Feb 07, 2020 14:41 IST

A day before Delhi Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena has praised Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the work done by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for what it described as “communal polarisation” to garner votes and come to power in Delhi.

“Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have put their lives at stake on Delhi [polls] after they lost Maharashtra and after a crushing defeat in Jharkhand. Nothing wrong if they want to win Delhi, but despite an army of 200 MPs, BJP CMs and the entire Modi cabinet, it seems that Kejriwal is weighing heavy on all others,” an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said on Friday.

Delhi will vote on February 8 and the results will be declared on February 11.

In the previous election, AAP had won a resounding majority bagging 67 out of 70 seats. In contrast, the BJP, which was targeting a two-third majority, won just three seats.

The editorial lauded the Kejriwal government’s work in the last five years. It added that while Kejriwal is seeking votes on work done in public health, school education, etc, the “top leaders of BJP and its minister are engaged in political mudslinging of Hindu versus Muslim.”

“Kejriwal is seeking votes on the basis of work done in five years. This is a new experiment in the country’s politics. This should be welcomed beyond party lines. Voters of Delhi are intelligent,” said the editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

The former ally of the BJP acknowledged Kejriwal’s efforts in Delhi and hit out at the Centre for “creating obstacles” for the AAP government.

“Even after having limited power and despite regular obstacles created by the Centre, his [Kejriwal] work in the field of education, health and public facilities is ideal,” the Sena said.

The Sena slammed the BJP for calling the AAP Convenor a “terrorist” and for expressing “dislike” after he recited Hanuman Chalisa at an event in New Delhi.

“The BJP’s hate for Kejriwal is so extreme that they don’t even like him going to a Hanuman temple and reciting Hanuman Chalisa,” the Sena said, taking a dig at the BJP in Saamana.

It added, “If he is [a terrorist], then what is the Centre waiting for? They should act. Does the BJP want to suggest that 70% of Delhi voters voted for a terrorist in 2014?”