Congress rallies support through the Nyay Yatra, targeting Kejriwal over the liquor policy controversy.
New Delhi: After Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the national capital is gearing up for the upcoming assembly elections, scheduled to take place in mid-February to March 2025. With an eye on the polls, the Delhi Congress is leaving no stone unturned, having learned from its past defeats. This time, the party appears confident of turning the electoral tide in its favour under the leadership of Devender Yadav.
In preparation for the elections, the Delhi Congress recently launched a month-long campaign, the Delhi Nyay Yatra, from Rajghat. The campaign aims to cover all 70 Assembly constituencies before concluding on December 4. The yatra was inaugurated by Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav, the party’s national treasurer Ajay Maken, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. With two legs of the yatra already completed, the Congress is buoyed by the overwhelming support from Delhi residents, strengthening its belief in its ability to bring change to the capital this time.
Under the leadership of Yadav, the Congress continues its month-long Nyay Yatra through Delhi’s Assembly constituencies. Waving party flags and singing the campaign’s theme song, participants marched through the narrow lanes of the city. They carried two large balloon-shaped liquor bottles with the slogan ‘Bol rahi hai bottle, pol khol rahi hai bottle’ written on them, alongside caricatures of AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, targeting him for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case that landed him in Tihar jail.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Yadav stated that the Nyay Yatra aims to deliver justice to Delhi’s citizens and expose the “lies and corruption” of the Kejriwal-led government, which he accused of causing immense hardship to residents over the past decade. He further emphasised that the yatra will highlight the corruption and failures of both the AAP and BJP governments, accusing them of undermining democracy and the Constitution. During the campaign, Congress leaders and workers will be on the streets day and night, listening to and addressing the problems faced by the people.
Yadav emphasised that the yatra has provided an ideal platform for residents to voice their grievances.
“I am shocked to see how many people are struggling to earn their livelihood through sheer hard work,” he remarked.
Buoyed by the public’s reception, he expressed confidence that the yatra would be a historic turning point.
“The residents of Delhi are ready for political change,” he added.
Yadav stated that the Delhi Nyay Yatra has been met with overwhelming love and support from the public, indicating a strong desire for change and a return of the Congress to power. He described the yatra as a morale-boosting experience for Congress workers, reflecting the public’s frustration with issues like air and water pollution, garbage accumulation, deteriorating infrastructure, and governance failures. Yadav criticised the AAP for disappointing people both in the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), contrasting it with the Congress’s 15-year tenure, which, he claimed, transformed Delhi into a “world-class” city.
Yadav accused Kejriwal of failing to address critical issues such as air and water pollution, crimes against women, unemployment, inflation, and poor road conditions. He questioned how the AAP government, which failed to fulfill its budget promise of providing Rs 1,000 per month to women over 18, could deliver on a Rs 5,000 monthly allowance for individuals with over 60% disabilities. Highlighting the reality of worsening air and water pollution, Yadav alleged that the Delhi Jal Board misappropriated Rs 6,500 crore meant for sewage treatment. He challenged Kejriwal to demonstrate accountability by fulfilling his earlier promise to dive into the polluted Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj Ghat, a commitment he had made to complete by 2025.
Yadav criticised Kejriwal for failing to deliver on his promises of a transparent, corruption-free government that would be accountable to the people. He alleged that during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the city’s residents were struggling, Kejriwal, along with Manish Sisodia and others, was secluded in a luxury hotel crafting the now-scrapped liquor policy. This policy, Yadav claimed, was implemented despite Covid restrictions and ultimately harmed unemployed youth.
He further accused Kejriwal of hypocrisy, pointing out that while the AAP leader once vowed not to occupy a government bungalow or use a red-beacon car, he ended up reconstructing a government residence at an exorbitant cost to taxpayers, turning it into a luxurious “Sheesh Mahal”, unlike anything enjoyed by previous Chief Ministers of Delhi. Despite this, Kejriwal continues to claim he is “kattar imaandar” (extremely honest).
Yadav questioned Kejriwal’s integrity, asking why he was imprisoned if he was innocent of corruption charges related to the liquor policy. He also noted that the Supreme Court repeatedly denied him bail before granting conditional release, which eventually forced his resignation as Chief Minister. Yadav argued that no court would have sent Kejriwal, Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, or Sanjay Singh to jail if they were truly honest and free of corruption.
Focused on reclaiming Congress’s lost ground in Delhi, Yadav urged Booth Level Agents to prioritise winning their constituencies under the slogan ‘Booth Jeetho, Chunav Jeetho’. He also clarified that the Congress would contest all 70 Assembly seats independently, ruling out an alliance with AAP, unlike the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where both parties contested in alliance but lost all seven seats to the BJP. Yadav revealed that discussions on candidate selection have already begun, with a pool of potential candidates identified. He intends to personally meet and evaluate each candidate before making final decisions.