As state assembly elections loom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a blistering offensive against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), leveraging the inauguration of newly constructed flats for former slum dwellers as a platform to highlight governance failures under Arvind Kejriwal. Modi criticized AAP’s alleged deprivation of central health insurance schemes and accused the party of squandering funds allocated for education, undermining its claims of building transformative schools. In a sharp retort to AAP’s promises, Modi remarked; “Even I could have built a Sheesh Mahal, but my focus is on the poor and shelterless across the country and that’s my priority and life mission.” The Prime Minister emphasized his commitment by unveiling multi-storied residential buildings, which house approximately 1,500 families previously living in slums. He urged beneficiaries to inspire hope among others still awaiting better housing, promising that his government would prioritize their needs no sooner his party voted into power. This housing initiative was part of a series of developmental projects Modi unveiled, including the renaming of a Delhi University college after Veer Savarkar—a polarizing figure often criticized by the opposition. The Modi government, undeterred by dissent, embraced Savarkar’s legacy as a counterpoint to the Congress and its allies.
The event also served as a platform for Modi to aim Kejriwal’s political trajectory. He accused the AAP leader of betraying anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and transforming his party’s ‘Kattar Imaandaar’ (fiercely honest) image into one riddled with corruption scandals. Citing instances such as the Delhi excise policy scam and irregularities in Mohalla clinics and school projects, Modi pledged swift action against those responsible once the BJP assumes power. Modi’s address was laden with promises of infrastructural transformation, including multi-crore projects proposed by BJP MPs. Analysts interpret this high-energy campaign as a signal that the BJP is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to wrest control of the state from AAP, buoyed by recent electoral successes in Haryana, Maharashtra, and other states. A BJP victory could mark a turning point for AAP, with Kejriwal’s authority potentially challenged by internal dissent. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is seen as a rising force who could capitalize on AAP’s faltering credibility to assert greater control. Modi’s calculated narrative underscores his intent to position the BJP as a credible alternative, emphasizing transparency, development, and decisive governance. With the ruling party’s credibility at an all-time low, the stage is set for a high-stakes electoral showdown, and the BJP appears poised to capitalize on AAP’s vulnerabilities. What’s particularly intriguing is that Arvind Kejriwal, the face of AAP, cannot officially campaign as the Chief Ministerial candidate. He faces serious criminal charges in the Delhi Excise Policy scam and is currently on conditional bail, which explicitly bars him from entering the state secretariat, making decisions, or clearing files. This legal predicament hangs over him like Damocles’ sword, raising a critical question: how will AAP convince Delhi voters that Kejriwal, and not Atishi, will lead the state? The ambiguity surrounding Kejriwal’s political future—whether a victory forces him to step back due to legal constraints or a loss plunges him into further trouble—leaves AAP in a precarious position. Either way, his political future seems to hang by a thread.