After 10 years in power, what is AAP doing to fight anti-incumbency and the corruption charges its top leaders face?

The people of Delhi know these allegations are baseless and the ED and the CBI are being misused and doing a smear campaign. Ultimately, the case will end in court, but it will take time. I believe we are winning this election. People feel that because of [AAP national convener] Arvind Kejriwal, their lives have become easier in Delhi compared with a common man in Noida, Gurugram, or Ghaziabad. In Delhi, electricity and water are free, children are getting good education … all these things are giving them a comfortable life. People feel that if Arvind Kejriwal is not there, then their comfortable life will be gone.

Last time, from the first day of the campaign, the one core message from Kejriwal was “vote for me if I have worked, else do not vote for me”. But this time, that sort of clear messaging is missing. So, what is the party’s main message for this poll?

Every election has a tone and it changes. We are fighting the poll on Kejriwal’s face and image. If I have to pick one message, it is “your lives have become better because of Kejriwal and because of that bring back Kejriwal”.

What is the biggest challenge facing the party this time?

Every election has its own challenges. I don’t feel good that the BJP has come down to hurling abuses. It would have been better if the election was being fought on actual issues. If the BJP had said ‘we have made schools good in Noida or Gurugram or water supply better” it would have been good, but there is no such talk. Also, the way in which the Election Commission is saying everything is fine in the BJP. There are videos of cash being distributed and saris being distributed, but the EC says it did not find anything. I have never seen the Election Commission this compromised. It has become a ‘BJP clean chit agency’.

How challenging will it be for you to establish your foothold in a new seat: Jangpura?

Every election, different factors are at play. I have won Patparganj with different margins twice and it has been a good seat for me. I have worked there especially on schools and provided extraordinary infrastructure. So, when Awadh Ojha asked me, ‘you have done so much work on education, can I join and fight from Patparganj?’, I agreed. It is my message to the country that if any educationist wants to join us, we are serious about taking them and fielding them from a constituency of their choice.

AAP has not fielded many sitting MLAs this time and even after the final list was announced and just two days before the last day for nominations, the party changed two more sitting MLAs. Is it nervous as the election nears?

This is part of micromanagement for the election. Every party does this.

Is it also because people are not happy with these MLAs?

Yes, of course, that is also why we changed them.

In seven seats, where there is a sizeable population of Muslims, the party did not perform well in the 2022 MCD election. Do you think this is a cause for concern especially if the election is going to be a close fight?

AAP has worked for all categories and there has been no partiality. We say with pride that every child will get good education.

Many promises that were part of ‘Kejriwal’s 10 guarantees’ ahead of the 2015 election remain unfulfilled.

There are many promises we have fulfilled. Kejriwal thinks before making promises and he admits some have not been completed. There are many reasons, but we never said we aren’t going to fulfil them.

With run-ins with the Lieutenant-Governor likely to continue, how do you plan to fulfil these promises on returning to power?

Since 2015, we have fulfilled our promises despite confrontations. We installed CCTVs across Delhi, provided free electricity. They tried to stop us, but we still did it.

In the run-up to the last poll, the government was able to implement free bus rides for women and provide free electricity up to 200 units. But this time, it hasn’t been able to announce a new scheme in the last six months.

We will do it. I have faith in our fighting spirit.

Delhi’s ‘revenue surplus’ is dipping and it is likely to become ‘revenue deficit’. Fiscal deficit is also rising. Will it be viable to implement the party’s promises?

This is one of the biggest pieces of propaganda that the BJP is spreading. Delhi can never be in revenue deficit. That is just the interpretation of one officer and it is his viewpoint. In a file, 25 officers might write 25 different opinions. Ultimately, what happens is what is finally written (by the Minister or the L-G).

If you fail to cross the majority mark, will you tie up with the Congress to form a government like you did in 2013?

How many seats is the Congress going to win?

Published – January 18, 2025 12:55 am IST