Arvind Kejriwal asks EC to bar Parvesh Verma from Delhi election, 'raid his house'

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday met senior officials of the Election Commission and demanded that his New Delhi assembly constituency rival, BJP's Parvesh Verma, be barred from contesting the Delhi election. Accusing the former MP of "openly distributing money", the ex chief minister asked the poll panel to "raid his house".

"The BJP candidate in the New Delhi Assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma, is organising job camps, openly distributing money... These things come under corrupt practices under the rules and regulations of the Election Commission... Parvesh Verma should be barred from contesting elections and his house should be raided to find out how much money he has at his house," Arvind Kejriwal said after meeting the Election Commission.

The AAP supremo reiterated his allegation that fake voters were being added to the electoral rolls.

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“In the New Delhi Assembly constituency, from 15 December to 7 January, in 22 days, 5,500 applications have come for cancellation of votes...These applications are fake...When the officials took cognizance of the matter, the people in whose name applications for cancellation of votes were given were called. They said that fake applications had been given in their name... A big scam is going on... In the last fifteen days, 13,000 applications have come for new votes... Fake votes are being created by bringing people from other states,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Kejriwal further alleged that the local election officer of the New Delhi assembly constituency had surrendered to the BJP.

"He is facilitating all the wrongdoings of the BJP...The ECI has assured us that they will not allow all these practices to happen and strict action will be taken...The local DEO and ERO should be suspended," he alleged.

What are Kejriwal's charges?

On Wednesday, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP had asked its 7 MPs in the national capital to create fake votes.

Earlier this month, Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the BJP had been trying to delete voters' names in the electoral rolls in the New Delhi assembly constituency.

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday refuted allegations of voter deletion.

"Indian voters are extremely aware... Stories are going around regarding electoral rolls, even now. Almost 70 steps are there...in which political parties and candidates remain with us. All the claims and objections that come up are shared with all the political parties. No deletion can be done without Form 7," he said.

The Delhi assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, while the counting of votes will take place on February 8.