Kejriwal Challenges BJP Over Jat OBC Status and Voter Registrations

AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal criticizes BJP, questioning Jat community's inclusion in Central OBC list. He accuses the ruling party of electoral manipulation in Delhi, questioning recent voter registration changes. Kejriwal emphasizes anomalies in the voting process and the integrity of upcoming assembly elections.

In a pointed critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday questioned the exclusion of the Jat community from the Central OBC list and expressed concerns over new voter registrations in the New Delhi Assembly seat. During a press conference, Kejriwal accused the ruling party of trying to compromise the integrity of the Delhi elections.

Kejriwal challenged, "The BJP is free to criticize me, but when will the Jat community, already on Delhi's OBC list, be included in the Central OBC list? Although the Prime Minister frequently visits Delhi, he has yet to address this pledge made in 2015." On January 9, Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, insisting on the inclusion of Delhi's Jat community in the Central OBC list, accusing the BJP-led Central government of reneging on its promise for a decade.

The AAP chief also revealed that a party delegation would meet the Election Commission at 3 pm to discuss two pressing issues. "Our candidate from Patparganj, Awadh Ojha, initially registered his vote in Greater Noida. After attempting to transfer it using Form 6, he received no response and was advised to complete Form 8, which he did by January 7. According to the ECI manual, both forms are admissible before nomination deadlines," Kejriwal noted.

Kejriwal alleged discrepancies in voter registration deadlines, saying, "The Delhi CEO first declared January 7 as the final date, only to inexplicably amend it to January 6, contrary to the Election Commission's guidelines. Was this a strategy to disadvantage Ojha Ji?" He further claimed unusual patterns of new voter registrations from the residences of BJP MPs and leaders in the New Delhi seat.

"This is perplexing. What impact will such suspicious voter registrations have on the election's fairness? Although the BJP succeeded in Haryana and Maharashtra, Delhi will not condone this electoral misconduct," Kejriwal warned. The Delhi assembly elections are scheduled for a single phase on February 5, with vote counting on February 8.

(With inputs from agencies.)