Delhi Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Before the Delhi Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has intensified his criticism of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader Arvind Kejriwal. During a rally at Ashok Vihar’s Ramlila Maidan on January 3, 2025, PM Modi called the AAP government an “aapda” (disaster) that has beset Delhi for the past decade. “First theft and then arrogance… this is AAP coming to Delhi,” he said, accusing the administration of indulging in corruption and then glorifying it.

The Prime Minister took a direct dig at Kejriwal over building a luxurious residence, saying that he had built a “sheeshmahal” (glass palace) for himself, but he chose not to focus on providing housing to the poor. He also emphasised his government’s commitment to the underprivileged by highlighting the inauguration of 1,675 flats for ‘jhuggy-jhopdi’ (JJ) clusters and two urban redevelopment projects in Delhi.

In response, Arvind Kejriwal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being the “enemy of the poor”, alleging that they have rendered more than 200,000 people homeless by demolishing slums in Delhi. He criticised PM Modi for spending a large part of his speech attacking the Delhi government, which was elected with a huge majority. Kejriwal also said that the BJP lacks a chief ministerial candidate and a clear narrative for the upcoming Delhi elections.

The exchange appears to underline the growing tension between the two leaders as the elections approach, with both sides taking potshots at each other over governance, development and the welfare of Delhi residents.