Delhi polls: Poster war heats up between AAP, BJP in Delhi ahead of Assembly polls

The political rivalry between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) intensified on Sunday (January 12) as both parties unleashed a series of posters targeting each other just days before the Delhi assembly polls. The BJP released a poster aimed at AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, while AAP retaliated with equally biting posters targeting BJP leaders.

The BJP’s poster featured Arvind Kejriwal wearing a crown, with a liquor bottle in his suit pocket and a glass of liquor in his hand. The poster appeared to mock Kejriwal’s resignation as Delhi Chief Minister last year following his bail in the controversial liquor policy case.

The background of the poster included a collage of images symbolising issues such as wine and beer shops, crowded water tankers, pollution, toxic foam in the Yamuna, and Delhi floods. These visuals highlighted BJP’s criticism of the AAP’s governance. The caption on the poster read, “This AAP-Da gang has ruined Delhi! Now we will not tolerate it, we will change our mind,” with the BJP coining the term ‘AAPda’ (disaster) to attack the ruling party.

In response, the AAP released a poster targeting BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri. The poster showed Bidhuri seemingly emerging from a torn poster, with the caption, “Abusive party’s abusive Chief Minister candidate.” The AAP’s poster appeared to criticise Bidhuri’s controversial remarks and questioned his suitability as a potential Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi.

The AAP further escalated the poster war with another release targeting Home Minister Amit Shah. The poster featured Shah playing chess with photos of Congress leaders Sandeep Dikshit, Ajay Maken, and Alka Lamba depicted as pawns on the chessboard. The caption read, “Delhi Congress leaders are pawns in the hands of BJP and Amit Shah in electoral chess.” This was an apparent accusation by AAP that the BJP was using Congress leaders to influence the Delhi Assembly polls.

Campaigning has picked up steam as voting across 70 assembly seats in Delhi will be held in a single phase on February 5, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 8.

With the Delhi Assembly polls fast approaching, the poster war highlights the high-stakes battle between the BJP and AAP. Both parties are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to win the trust of Delhi voters, with governance, accountability, and political strategies taking center stage.