'Biggest liquor scam, coward': Why Congress-AAP bickering has intensified ahead of Delhi elections

The AAP may also be worried that Gandhi’s campaign could dent its vote bank

As the state election day approaches in the national capital, the AAP and the Congress, allies in the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, have engaged in a war of words.

Days after facing health issues, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi finally hit the Delhi poll campaign trail on Tuesday, he accused AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of being involved in the “biggest liquor scam" in the national capital and for living in “Sheeshmahal".

Addressing a rally in Patparganj, Gandhi attacked Kejriwal for not standing up for the poor and being not available when communal riots broke out in the capital city in 2020."Arvind Kejriwal had a small car when he came into politics. He promised to do a new kind of politics. But when the poor needed help, he was nowhere to be seen. When violence broke out in Delhi, he was nowhere to be seen," said Gandhi.

He also accused the former Delhi CM of committing the “biggest liquor scam”.In response, Kejriwal questioned Gandhi's silence on the Prime Minister's official residence, calling it a 'rajmahal', and alleging that the Congress leader had echoed the BJP's rhetoric during his speech.

The BJP had dubbed Kejriwal's official residence, when he was Delhi Chief Minister, as “sheeshmahal”. Later, Kejriwal called Gandhi a “coward" and questioned why the Congress leader and his family were not put in jail in the “open and shut" National Herald case.

Why Congress and AAP are attacking each other

The BJP and Congress have been traditional rivals in the national capital. However, with the AAP entering the scene in 2013, slowly it has taken over the entire anti-BJP vote from Congress. If the Congress must gain vote share, it can’t come from the BJP as it has an anti-Congress base. It needs to come from the AAP.

The AAP may also be worried that Gandhi’s campaign could dent its vote bank, especially in the Muslim-dominated seats in Delhi. Kejriwal’s party is banking on SP leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Kairana MP Iqra Hasan, along with leaders of the Trinamool Congress to campaign for it this week to ensure that the Muslim vote is not split.

In the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections, the BJP won three and eight seats, respectively, while AAP claimed overwhelming victories with 67 and 62 seats.Congress, on the other hand, failed to win a single seat in both elections, with its vote share consistently declining—from 40.3% in 2008 to just 4.3% in 2020.

AAP versus Congress key sops

The AAP said the Delhi government would provide Rs 2,100 per month to every woman above the age of 18 while the Congress also promised a monthly financial aid of Rs 2,500 to women under the proposed ‘Pyaari Didi Yojana’.

In terms of health care, the AAP has promised that under its Sanjeevani Yojana, senior citizens aged 60 and above will receive treatment free of cost in both government and private hospitals. Meanwhile, Congress has promised a health insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh to all Delhi residents under its Jeevan Raksha Yojana.

The AAP promised electricity up to 200 units and 50 per cent subsidy rebate if the total consumption in a month goes above 200 units. Taking a step further, Congress has announced 300 units of free electricity.

As the AAP and Congress ramp up their attacks against each other, the BJP is now pointing out to voters on how both the parties were allies in the Lok Sabha elections just eight months back and are now at loggerheads, aiming to erode their credibility.