New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): BJP candidate from New Delhi Assembly constituency Parvesh Verma on Sunday sought an Election Commission of India (ECI) probe into the alleged use of Rs 50 crore sent from Punjab for funding the election campaign of his rival and AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Addressing a press conference, Verma claimed that Kejriwal is going to lose the February 5 election by 20,000 votes and the fear of this humiliating defeat is forcing him to resort to illegal means and spread falsehoods about threat to his life.
"Arvind Kejriwal is conducting his election campaign with a convoy of 50 cars and 400 Punjab Police personnel, despite previously taking oaths to refuse security and vehicles," said Parvesh Verma.
The BJP leader said that a sum of Rs 50 crore had allegedly been sent by the AAP government in Punjab solely for Kejriwal's campaign in the New Delhi constituency and demanded an investigation by the ECI.
Verma said that whenever Kejriwal visits the New Delhi constituency for campaigning, the people question him about employment, electricity, and other pressing issues and he has no answers.
He also said that witnessing the erosion of his political standing, Kejriwal does not even want Chief Minister Atishi, and other AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, or Saurabh Bharadwaj to win.
"For this reason, they are being kept away from election campaigning and bogged down with press conferences and meetings," he said.
Despite being an MLA for 12 years, Kejriwal has no support in the constituency, said Verma, adding that wherever the former Chief Minister or his wife Sunita campaign in New Delhi, they reportedly do not have even 10 local people with them.
Verma recalled that five years ago, on this exact date, January 19, Kejriwal had announced 10 guarantees, which included a pollution-free Delhi, a clean and bright Delhi, a safer Delhi for women, facilities in unauthorised colonies, housing for slum dwellers, a shining Delhi, access to clean water, world-class schools, affordable healthcare facilities, and the largest and cheapest public transport system.
"All of these promises have failed, and the people of Delhi are now pointing out how bad the city's situation has become," he said.