Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), made a sharp remark about the upcoming Delhi assembly election, describing it as a “jugalbandi” between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, both of which have historically worked together behind the scenes. His comment came after BJP leader Amit Malviya reacted to Kejriwal’s earlier statement about “saving to fight Congress,” which followed Rahul Gandhi’s speech on Monday, where he criticized Kejriwal for failing to fulfill his promises.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at Kejriwal, accusing him of not addressing inflation in Delhi and questioning his stance on the caste census. The verbal sparring between the two intensified, with Kejriwal claiming that Gandhi’s real fight was to save Congress, while his own was to save the country. In response, Gandhi pointed out that Kejriwal’s government failed to control rising inflation in the national capital and raised doubts about his support for the caste census.

Kejriwal swiftly responded to Gandhi’s comments by posting on X, stating, “Today Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi. He abused me a lot. But I will not comment on his statements. His fight is to save Congress, my fight is to save the country.” BJP’s IT cell head, Malviya, then criticized Kejriwal, telling him to focus on defending his seat in New Delhi instead of the country.

Kejriwal quickly retorted, saying, “Great. I said just one line about Rahul Gandhi, and I looked at the reply coming from the BJP. See how much trouble they’re facing. This Delhi election might expose the long-standing ‘jugalbandi’ between Congress and BJP.” His comments hinted at a hidden alliance between the two national parties, despite their apparent political rivalry.

The Delhi assembly election is scheduled for February 5. A three-way battle is expected, with AAP aiming for a third consecutive term and both BJP and Congress seeking to displace the ruling party. The election results will be declared on February 8.

At a rally in Seelampur, Rahul Gandhi continued to criticize the BJP and Kejriwal, stating that inflation was at an all-time high, widening the gap between the rich and the poor. He also referred to business tycoons like Ambani and Adani, questioning why neither PM Modi nor Kejriwal had spoken out against them. Gandhi declared, “We don’t want a country of billionaires,” emphasizing that Congress was committed to ensuring development for all, something Kejriwal and the BJP could not deliver.

Gandhi also reiterated his support for a caste census in his address, claiming that Congress would ensure progress for the backward community if they were victorious in the upcoming election. He argued that Congress had the experience and ability to achieve what neither AAP nor BJP could.

AAP, which secured a dominant victory in the 2015 and 2020 Delhi elections with 67 and 62 seats, respectively, was the party that ousted Congress from power in the national capital in 2013. As the election draws closer, the political battle between these three parties is expected to intensify.