The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) intensified its poster campaign on Saturday ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, directly targeting rivals Congress and the BJP. Notably, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi appears prominently in AAP's posters for the first time, featuring the provocative tagline "Kejriwal's honesty will outweigh all the dishonest people," alongside images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Delhi BJP leaders. This inclusion signals AAP's aggressive stance.
The move follows Gandhi's criticism of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal's governance, asserting that Kejriwal falls short of the accomplishments of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. At a recent rally, Gandhi stated, "Delhi now wants the real development model of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, not the false propaganda of Prime Minister Modi and AAP's Kejriwal."
Gandhi has previously accused Kejriwal of mirroring Modi’s "propaganda strategy" while neglecting issues like pollution, corruption, and inflation. He also claimed that both leaders fail to support marginalized communities, including Dalits and tribals.
The posters also feature Congress leaders Ajay Maken, who has called Kejriwal "anti-national," and Sandeep Dikshit, Sheila Dikshit's son, who is contesting against Kejriwal in New Delhi. In response, the BJP launched a new social media poster, ramping up its "AAP-da" (disaster) campaign, stating: "On 5th February, the people of Delhi will teach a lesson to the AAP-da gang of big thugs full of goons and criminals!"
With the Delhi Assembly election scheduled for February 5 and results on February 8, the contest is evolving into a triangular battle. Despite being allies in the INDIA opposition bloc, AAP and Congress are running separately in Delhi, with AAP dismissing Congress as "irrelevant" and accusing it of collusion with the BJP. As tensions rise, Kejriwal's party is framing the election as a contest between its “honest governance” and the perceived shortcomings of the national parties.