Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited northwest Delhi’s Rithala, drawing attention to the city’s dire civic conditions while also exposing cracks in the opposition alliance INDIA. Strolling past an overflowing drain, Gandhi criticized the state of the national capital, sarcastically remarking, “See, this is Delhi, this is shining Delhi.”
Pointing to the sewage and garbage-laden paths, he quipped, “Paris jaisi Dilli. Sab jagah yahi haal hai (Delhi like Paris. This is the situation everywhere).” The Congress took to X to amplify Gandhi’s comments, targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, who had promised in 2019 to transform Delhi into a city as clean as Paris, Tokyo, and London.
“Arvind Kejriwal’s claims have proven hollow. Today, Delhiites are forced to live amid clogged sewers, overflowing drains, and filth,” read a Congress post on X. Gandhi’s remarks followed his attack at a rally last evening, where he criticized Kejriwal for Delhi’s pollution, corruption, and rising inflation.
Responding to the criticism, Kejriwal accused Gandhi of hurling abuses and alleged a BJP-Congress collaboration. “The elections will expose this ‘jugalbandi,’” Kejriwal said.
Civic issues like pollution, poor infrastructure, and sewage management have become central themes in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly elections, which will see a three-way contest between AAP, BJP, and Congress. The strained relations between AAP and Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, have further complicated the dynamics. The two parties failed to form a pre-poll alliance during last year’s Haryana Assembly elections, where BJP emerged victorious.
In the 2020 elections, AAP dominated with 62 of the 70 seats, while BJP secured eight and Congress failed to win any. With BJP buoyed by recent wins in Haryana and Maharashtra, its supporters are optimistic about replicating success in Delhi.
Meanwhile, Congress is banking on nostalgia, highlighting achievements of the Sheila Dikshit-led government, which ruled Delhi for 15 years before being unseated by Kejriwal in 2013. The party tweeted, “Congress promises to return a clean and beloved Delhi to its people. We did it before; we will do it again.”
The upcoming elections will not only decide Delhi’s governance but also shape the future of AAP’s role in national politics and its position within the INDIA bloc.
