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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 5 February 2025
Modi’s ruling party looks to topple corruption crusader in Delhi poll

with graft allegations

By ASHOK SHARMA and government of misusing
SHEIKH SAALIQ federal investigation agen-
Associated Press cies to harass and weaken
NEW DELHI (AP) — The re- political opponents, and
surgent Hindu nationalist pointed to several raids, ar-
party of India’s Prime Minis- rests, and corruption inves-
ter Narendra Modi is eyeing tigations of key opposition
a state legislature election figures in the months before
in Delhi where it is looking the national election.
to unseat the governing Past voting pattern in the
movement which has led capital shows the distinc-
the Indian capital for over tion voter have made be-
a decade but has recently tween national and state
been embroiled in graft al- legislature elections. Since
legations. Modi came to power in
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata 2014, his party has often
Party, which failed to se- dominated both polls. But
cure a majority of its own in in Delhi people have voted
last year’s national election differently for the AAP in
but formed the government state election and the BJP
with coalition partners, has in national polls.
gained some lost ground During election campaign-
by winning two state elec- ing, Modi’s party reminded
tions in northern Haryana voters of graft allegations
and western Maharashtra Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, catches a garland during a road show against Kejriwal, hoping
states. It is up against the while campaigning for Delhi state election in New Delhi, India, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. the incumbent party’s cor-
Associated Press
Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, ruption allegations will out-
led by Arvind Kejriwal, that Modi’s party, in particular, Delhi race, but many poll Kejriwal was, however, ar- weigh its popular welfare
runs Delhi and has built a is hoping to better its tally experts believe it has run a rested last year along with programs.
huge support base on the from the previous election lackluster campaign and is two key leaders of his party Allegations ‘are false’
back of its popular welfare after last week’s budget expected to fare poorly. ahead of national elec- The BJP was voted out of
policies. that slashed income tax on Claiming himself to be an tions on charges of receiv- power in Delhi in 1998 by
Delhi, a city of more than the salaried middle class, anti-corruption crusader, ing bribes from a liquor dis- the Congress party, which
20 million people, is a fed- one of its key vote block. Kejriwal is Delhi’s former tributor. The accusations ran the government for 15
eral territory which Modi’s Kejriwal’s party won 62 out top elected official and have been consistently de- years. In the 2015 elections,
party has not been able to of 70 seats in the last elec- a fierce critic of Modi. He nied as part of an alleged AAP won a landslide vic-
win for over 27 years, de- tion, held in 2020. formed the AAP in 2012 af- political conspiracy. The tory by capturing 67 of 70
spite having a sizeable sup- “Publicity wise, the BJP ter tapping into public an- Supreme Court allowed seats.
port base in the capital. seems ahead of the AAP ger against the then Con- the release of Kejriwal and Kejriwal’s AAP has focused
The polls open on Wednes- because it has more sig- gress party government other ministers on bail. on economic development
day, with results due on Sat- nificant resources,” said over a series of corruption Kejriwal later relinquished issues, like health care and
urday. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a scandals. His pro-poor poli- the chief minister’s post to education in poll rallies. He
Both Modi and Kejriwal political analyst, who add- cies have focused on fixing his most senior party leader, has avoided talking about
have offered to revamp ed that it will be difficult for state-run schools and pro- Atishi, and said he would the corruption allegations
government schools, free the BJP to dislodge the AAP viding cheap electricity, submit himself to the court against him, instead asking
health services and elec- because of its popularity free health care and bus of public opinion. voters to reward the party
tricity, and a monthly sti- among voters. transport for women. Opposition parties widely for its track record of deliv-
pend of over 2,000 rupees India’s main opposition Raids, arrests, and corrup- condemned Kejriwal’s ar- ering better services.q
($25) to poor women. Congress party is also in the tion investigations rest, accusing the Modi’s

El Salvador joins U.N.-backed mission on the ground in Haiti to

combat gang violence

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A contin- and Guatemala.
gent from El Salvador arrived in Haiti on Gang violence keeps surging across Port-
Tuesday to bolster a U.N. backed mission au-Prince and beyond, with gunmen in re-
led by Kenyan police to help fight gangs cent days killing at least 40 people in an
that killed thousands of people last year upscale community.
and control much of the capital. The U.S. and other countries have warned
The 70 personnel will provide expertise in that the Kenya-led mission lacks funding
air support, which Kenyan officials said will and personnel as they push to transform it
be critical for medical evacuations. into a U.N.-peacekeeping mission.
The Salvadoreans are the latest to join the More than 5,600 people were reported
mission in recent months. killed last year across Haiti and more than
Additional police officers from Kenya were 2,200 others were injured.
People displaced by armed gang attacks take refuge at the deployed last month for a total of more Gang violence has left more than one mil-
town hall of the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, than 600 now in Haiti. They have been lion people homeless in recent years, ac-
Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. joined by police, soldiers and other of- cording to the U.N.q
Associated Press
ficials from countries including Jamaica