New Delhi: After a failed attempt a day earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday filed her nomination papers from the Kalkaji constituency and lashed out at police and local election officials for acting promptly on poll-related complaints given by the BJP and ignoring the ones filed by the AAP.
CM Atishi raised questions over the impartiality of the Election Commission (EC) and police, claiming, “I hope the commitment of free and fair elections given by the EC to us will be fulfilled. ”
Reacting to the registration of an FIR in Kalkaji for alleged misuse of a Public Works Department (PWD) van for transporting AAP election campaign posters, CM Atishi said, “When we complain against BJP candidate Parvesh Verma for distributing money and spectacles, we are told an inquiry is on. But, in my case, an FIR has been filed in Kalkaji without even an inquiry.”
“Something is fishy,” she said, adding that lower-level election officials are under pressure and the police are also favouring a particular party.
Attacking Parvesh Verma for allegedly blatantly violating the poll code, Atishi said he is openly issuing posts on social media, holding health camps, and distributing bedsheets.
The Delhi Chief Minister also attacked the Congress and the BJP for secretly collaborating to fight the February 5 Assembly election and misleading the people.
She said how is it possible without a BJP-Congress alliance that Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit promptly gets time to meet Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena to complain against the AAP scheme while AAP legislators are made to wait for weeks before getting an appointment to meet the L-G.
On Monday, Atishi held a roadshow in Kalkaji but could not file her nomination as she was forced to join an AAP delegation that met EC officials to complain about the alleged manipulation of the voters’ list in the New Delhi seat.
Earlier, the Delhi BJP accused CM Atishi and her party leaders of using government vehicles for personal campaigns even as the Kalkaji District Election Officer (DEO) got an FIR registered for misuse of a PWD van for carrying the CM’s posters.
Addressing a press conference, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the BJP’s District Vice-President in Kalkaji detected a van on January 7, after the Model Code of Conduct for the polls came into effect, delivering posters and flags of CM Atishi at her office in Govindpuri Gali number 30.
“The AAP, which claims to be an honest party, is indulging in such gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct. There is a huge difference in their words and practice,” said Bidhuri, claiming that the area where the incident took place falls in his parliamentary constituency.
An FIR has been filed by the election office against a PWD engineer for the alleged incident of allowing the use of an official to transport the AAP candidate’s election campaign material in the Govindpuri area.
(IANS)
