Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 Highlights: AAP vs BJP over ‘Yamuna poisoning’ claim, Congress chips in

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday hit back at Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of making false claims about the Haryana government poisoning the Yamuna. Shah challenged the AAP chief to release the DJB report that he had referenced to support the allegation. Speaking at a public meeting in Kalakaji, Shah also dared Kejriwal to reveal the truth to the people of Delhi.

"Kejriwal ji, winning and losing are part of the election process. Making an innocent face, you accused the Haryana government of mixing poison (in the Yamuna) and tried to scare the people of Delhi. Politics cannot get dirtier than this," he charged.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with Election Commission (EC) officials on Tuesday, accusing the BJP-led Haryana government of intentionally releasing hazardous levels of ammonia into the Yamuna river, putting Delhi's water supply at risk. Following the meeting, Atishi told a press conference, "We presented our concerns to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. The ammonia levels in the Yamuna have risen to 7 ppm (parts per million), which exceeds the filtration capacity of Delhi's water treatment plants. The EC has told us that it will listen to Haryana's version before taking a decision that benefits the people of Delhi. We trust the EC for free-and-fair elections."

Rahul Gandhi took to the campaign trail in support of Sandeep Dikshit today, who is contesting against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency for the February 5 assembly elections. During his visit, Gandhi interacted with employees of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), who voiced concerns over widespread unemployment caused by the policies of both the BJP-led Central government and the AAP administration in Delhi.

Before his campaign, Gandhi paid a visit to the Maharishi Valmiki Temple, where he offered prayers for the happiness, peace, and prosperity of the nation, according to Congress sources.

A day after accusing the BJP-led Haryana government of contaminating the Yamuna river with "poison," AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday stated that he was unafraid of any legal action and emphasized that he would not allow the people of Delhi to suffer from "dirty, poisonous water." During a press conference, Kejriwal claimed that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO had, in a letter on Monday, confirmed the presence of ammonia—referred to as "poison"—in the water supplied to Delhi from Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has denied Kejriwal's allegations, warning that a defamation lawsuit would be filed unless the Delhi CM issued an apology. Kejriwal further mentioned that Delhi CM Atishi and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann were scheduled to meet with Election Commission officials at 4 PM regarding the issue.

Amid chants of “Parvesh Verma ko Jai Shree Ram” and “Do number lucky hai, iss baar jeet pakki hai,” BJP candidate Parvesh Verma aimed to re-establish a strong connection with voters at the grassroots level during his campaign in the New Delhi constituency. Verma, who is contesting from the New Delhi Assembly seat, focused on door-to-door outreach, reassuring residents that he would address local issues if elected. While canvassing in the narrow lanes of Kalibari, he personally held the hand of an elderly woman and promised to improve civic amenities. The campaign atmosphere was vibrant, with both supporters and locals actively participating. Verma’s approach was rooted in personal engagement, as he took the time to have one-on-one conversations with residents, attentively listening to their concerns and building rapport.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Delhi’s Matiala, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal criticized the BJP, claiming they do nothing for Delhi’s citizens and are only focused on attacking other leaders. “Vote for the Aam Aadmi Party, a party that works, not for the abusive one,” he urged the crowd. He emphasized the need for a strong win for AAP’s Matiala candidate, Somesh Shokeen. “The BJP has no plans or schemes for Delhi. If you choose their candidate, all you'll get is conflict and quarrels, not progress.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday, dubbing it the "Aawaidh Aamdaniwali Party" (Party with Illegal Income). He accused the party of spreading falsehoods to win votes and engaging in corruption under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership during its decade-long rule in Delhi.

Speaking at a public rally in Narela, Shah criticised Kejriwal and the AAP for failing to address key issues like cleaning the Yamuna, providing clean drinking water, and tackling the alleged liquor scam. He claimed that while Delhi under AAP had regressed, other parts of the country had progressed. "On February 8, Delhi will be free from the 'AAPda' (AAP menace)," Shah declared, promising that the BJP would put an end to the mismanagement. He also pointed to unfulfilled promises, including the cleaning of the Yamuna and maintenance of the Chatt ghats, accusing Kejriwal of diverting his attention to expanding the party’s presence in Punjab and Goa after amassing wealth in Delhi.

On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accused the ruling BJP in Haryana of deliberately dumping industrial waste into the Yamuna, which supplies water to the national capital. This led AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to allege that the BJP is attempting to poison the river, putting people's lives at risk. At a press conference here, Atishi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is "deliberately disrupting" Delhi's water supply as a "historic loss" awaits the saffron party in the upcoming Assembly polls in the capital.

"The bewildered BJP is resorting to tactics, such as stopping the water supply. Haryana is intentionally draining industrial waste into the Yamuna to harm the people of Delhi and influence the election outcome unfairly," she said.

In the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on February 5, a total of 699 candidates are in the race, with 96 of them being women. This marks a significant increase compared to the 2020 elections, where 76 women contested out of 672 candidates. As political parties focus on attracting women voters, the representation of women candidates has risen across the board. Among the three major parties, both the BJP and AAP have fielded nine female candidates each, while the Congress has seven women nominees. All three parties have increased their number of women candidates compared to the 2020 Assembly polls.