‘Do not waste a single vote’: In Akhilesh Yadav’s name to elect AAP in Delhi, a delicate message for Congress | India Information

Arvind Kejriwal (left) and Akhilesh Yadav / PTI picture

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Occasion chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday campaigned for Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) for the upcoming Delhi elections, cautioning the nationwide capital electors to “not waste a single vote”.
“I attraction to folks to come back collectively to defeat the BJP. Your vote shouldn’t be wasted, to defeat the BJP, each vote ought to go to AAP,” Akhilesh Yadav stated whereas holding a street present in Kirari together with Arvind Kejriwal.

Akhilesh’s robust pitch for AAP had a delicate message for the Congress get together, which regardless of being the largest get together within the opposition INDIA bloc, discovered no backing from main allies within the anti-BJP alliance.
The Samajwadi Occasion chief’s comment was an obvious endeavour to forestall a break up in votes between the AAP and the Congress get together, which is preventing Delhi polls to snap the streak of zero it has been scoring for the final two polls.
As Akhilesh and different INDIA bloc companions selected to bat overtly for AAP within the nationwide capital polls, the transfer mirrored a technique to convey to Congress that it wanted to squeeze within the regional allies in locations the place it had the leverage.
Altering dynamics within the opposition INDIA bloc descended a notch decrease as Congress didn’t accommodate Akhilesh Yadav in Madhya Pradesh and AAP within the Haryana meeting elections in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Congress get together, nevertheless, has dismissed any rift within the INDIA bloc, saying Akhilesh selected to help AAP over Congress in Delhi as a result of “it’s stronger”.
“We respect the emotions of all INDIA alliance events. However they need to additionally perceive that Congress is sacrificing so many issues for the INDIA alliance,” Congress common secretary KC Venugopal stated a number of weeks in the past.
With Congress struggling to regain its footing in Delhi, the place it has been out of energy since 2013, the rising tensions inside the INDIA bloc are casting doubts on its capacity to current a united entrance.
AAP, buoyed by its stronghold within the capital, has accused the Congress of aiding the BJP by focusing on its get together chief, Arvind Kejriwal.
Earlier at present, Kejriwal upped the ante in opposition to Congress and accused the get together of steering away from criticising BJP.
In a video message to Congress supporters, the previous Delhi chief minister reiterated that voting for Congress would basically profit BJP within the polls.
In contrast to final yr’s Lok Sabha polls when AAP-Congress fought in alliance, Rahul Gandhi has personally taken cost to assault Kejriwal on a number of fronts.
The Congress chief on Thursday took a swipe at Kejriwal over his guarantees to finish corruption and clear the Yamuna throughout his tenure and challenged him to drink Yamuna water in Delhi’s Badli area.
Rahul, addressing a rally in Badli forward of Delhi polls stated, “The one who promised to finish corruption, bathe within the Yamuna, and drink its water is now on the centre of the largest liquor rip-off. Your entire nation is aware of about it. 5 years in the past, Arvind Kejriwal vowed to wash in and drink Yamuna’s water. I problem him to drink the water out there right here in Badli.”
Final month, AAP stated it could mobilise the constituents of INDIA bloc to get Congress evicted from the grouping if the primary opposition get together didn’t take motion in opposition to its common secretary Ajay Maken, who, the get together claimed, had dubbed Arvind Kejriwal anti-national.
Elevating the pitch in opposition to AAP, Maken additionally claimed that the get together’s alliance with Kejriwal previously was a mistake which wanted to be rectified.
“I really feel the Congress received weakened right here (in Delhi) solely due to the truth that we supported AAP for 40 days in 2013 (through the first Kejriwal authorities). Right this moment, that is additionally one of many greatest causes for the plight of Delhi. And, I consider that maybe a mistake has been made once more in Delhi by making the alliance (within the final Lok Sabha election), which now must be rectified,” Maken stated at an occasion the place Delhi Congress launched a 12-point White Paper focusing on AAP and BJP.