Battle in Delhi: Kejriwal Faces Rising Winds of Change

Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader and sitting MLA from New Delhi, faces a challenging re-election battle. Competing with descendants of former Delhi chief ministers, Kejriwal's popularity as an anti-corruption crusader is tested as skepticism grows among voters. Welfare schemes remain appealing, yet development and pollution issues persist.

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP's iconic leader, is under scrutiny as he navigates a challenging re-election campaign for the New Delhi Assembly seat. With rivals Parvesh Singh Verma of the BJP and Congress' Sandeep Dikshit trying to topple him, Kejriwal finds his reputation as an anti-corruption crusader faltering among constituents.

The constituency, home to both affluent areas and slum clusters, mirrors the broader challenges faced across the city. Residents express mixed feelings about development, pointing to both unfulfilled promises and persistent infrastructural issues. Despite the AAP's popular welfare initiatives, such as free bus services for women, voters feel disillusioned by unaddressed pollution and law-and-order problems.

As Kejriwal's core base of lower-middle-class workers holds steady, the BJP and Congress have upped the ante, targeting the AAP's vote share. They emphasize broader appeal while tackling concerns over transparency and governance. With allegations of 'vote-purchasing' tactics in the air, this high-stakes battle remains unpredictable, with 109,022 registered voters set to decide its outcome.

(With inputs from agencies.)