Congress asks Election Commission to bar Kejriwal from campaigning

The Congress on Friday asked the Election Commission to stop Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from campaigning, alleging that he had made “communal and provocative” statements.

The complaint

A delegation led by former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit met Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer, Ranbir Singh, and sought strong action against Kejriwal, including a ban on his taking part in the campaign.

In its memorandum, the Congress said that at a press conference Kejriwal had asked Muslims not to vote for the Congress because it was not getting a single Hindu vote. The party described the remark as divisive and illegal, and said it was intended to split Hindu and Muslim votes and to attract voters on communal lines.

Apart from Dikshit, the memorandum was signed by Congress leaders Onika Mehrotra, Jitender Kochar, Ramakant Goswami and Mangat Ram Singh. It asked the Commission to take note of the remark and bar Kejriwal from further campaigning.

The political backdrop

Kejriwal is about to begin campaigning in the capital, which votes on May 12. Unlike in 2014, he has not travelled widely this time, apart from campaigning briefly for the TDP in Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party had been in talks on an alliance until recently. With no tie-up materialising, the Congress has responded sharply to Kejriwal’s attacks on its president Rahul Gandhi, and the direct complaint suggests both parties will spare no effort against each other during the campaign.

See also: election news

Originally published on 27 April 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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