Wed Feb 05 07:11:32 IST 2025: ## Delhi Elections: AAP Faces Corruption Allegations, BJP Eyes Victory

**New Delhi** – The upcoming Delhi elections are shaping up to be a high-stakes battle between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the Congress also vying for a comeback. AAP, which swept the previous two elections, is facing significant headwinds due to a series of corruption allegations linked to a now-scrapped liquor policy.

The allegations led to the arrest and imprisonment of several AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, who spent months in jail. While Kejriwal maintains his innocence and frames his imprisonment as a politically motivated attack, the scandal has significantly damaged the party’s anti-corruption image, a cornerstone of its initial rise to power. Other prominent AAP figures, including Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain, and Amanatullah Khan, also faced arrest on various charges.

The BJP, buoyed by massive rallies led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its well-oiled election machinery, is aggressively campaigning for a change in government. Meanwhile, the Congress, after a decade on the sidelines of Delhi politics, hopes to regain a foothold.

The conflict is further complicated by ongoing tensions between the AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor, fueled by a Supreme Court ruling clarifying the LG’s limited powers. Despite this ruling, a central government ordinance expanded the LG’s authority over bureaucrats, further escalating the conflict. The LG’s role in initiating the investigation into the liquor scam is also a key point of contention.

AAP’s success in the past rested on its “Delhi Model” of governance, focusing on improvements in education and healthcare. This model contributed to their victory in Punjab and helped the party gain national prominence. However, a defeat in Delhi would be a major setback for AAP, while a victory would solidify its position as a formidable challenger to the BJP’s dominance. The upcoming elections are therefore poised to be a crucial test for the ten-year-old party.

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