‘CEC looking at next post’: Kejriwal claim sparks row

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal sparked a fresh controversy on Monday — two days before the assembly polls in Delhi — after he alleged that chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar is not taking action against purported incidents of hooliganism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he is “looking for a post-retirement position”.

He also announced that the AAP has launched a “counteroffensive” to thwart the BJP’s “criminal tactics” by deploying hidden cameras, bodycams, and “quick response teams” to “expose and stop malpractices”.

The Election Commission did not comment on the matter till the time of going to print.

The BJP meanwhile dismissed his claims as “baseless”.

Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters, Kejriwal said, “The CEC is set to retire at the end of this month. What post-retirement position has been offered to him? Governor’s post? President’s post? What could it be? What position could be worth putting the nation’s democracy at stake?”

Kejriwal said the AAP is distributing spy cameras to volunteers in slums to capture electoral malpractices. “AAP has set up QRTs to stop such unconstitutional and unlawful actions within 10-15 minutes,” he said. “BJP will use Delhi Police, BJP will use goons, and BJP will use fraud. But we will fight back,” he said.

“They [the BJP] will bring a box and claim to be from the Election Commission… According to my sources, they can manipulate up to 10% of the votes through these machines. That’s why you need to vote in overwhelming numbers. If we manage a 15% lead, we will win by 5%,” he said.

HT reached out to the CEC for comment, but did not get a response till the time of going to print.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Kejriwal is making baseless and fake allegations. “It is shocking to see the abusive and arrogant language used by him not only against us BJP but even against the chief election commissioner,” Kapoor said.

The Delhi Police did not comment on the allegations.