Sun Jan 26 09:39:47 UTC 2025: ## Kejriwal Pitches Delhi Election as National Showdown Over Welfare vs. Corporate Favors
**New Delhi, January 26, 2025** – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal framed the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections as a national referendum on economic policy, contrasting his party’s welfare initiatives with the BJP’s alleged favoritism towards big business. In a press conference on Sunday, Kejriwal argued that the February 5th election is a choice between two distinct ideologies: one focused on public welfare, and the other prioritizing the wealthy.
Kejriwal accused the BJP of waiving ₹10 lakh crore in loans for 400-500 industrialists over the past five years, while simultaneously labeling AAP’s welfare schemes, which he claimed provide nearly ₹25,000 in monthly benefits per Delhi household, as “freebies.” He challenged the BJP’s assertion that these programs are unsustainable, questioning whether Delhi residents could afford to lose benefits like free electricity and bus rides for women if the BJP wins.
He further criticized the BJP for attempting to create a sense of guilt among the middle class regarding welfare programs, while simultaneously showering large corporations with benefits. “When the BJP waives loans worth thousands of crores for its friends, is that not a freebie?” Kejriwal asked.
The AAP is seeking a third consecutive term in the Delhi Assembly, while the BJP aims to reclaim power after losing in 1998. Votes will be counted on February 8th.
First Piper 