AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has raised the stakes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, challenging Union Home Minister Amit Shah to rehabilitate all slum dwellers evicted due to demolition drives. Addressing a gathering at Shakur Basti, Kejriwal stated he would not contest the elections if the BJP guarantees housing for slum dwellers on the same land from which they were evicted. He accused the BJP-led central government of planning large-scale demolitions if it wins the elections, calling their “Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan” scheme a “political gimmick” to mislead voters.

Kejriwal alleged that only 4,700 flats for slum dwellers have been constructed by the BJP in the last five years, leaving millions in Delhi without adequate housing. He also claimed that changes in land use policies had been made recently to facilitate slum demolitions after the elections. Meanwhile, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed these claims as baseless, accusing the AAP government of delaying central housing schemes. Puri also alleged that AAP had misused funds for education and slum development projects, highlighting a lack of cooperation with the Centre on rehabilitation efforts.

The AAP, seeking a third term in Delhi, is focusing on slum dwellers and marginalised communities as a key voter base. Kejriwal reminded voters of his 2015 intervention to halt slum demolitions and urged them to reject BJP’s “anti-poor” policies. As accusations fly on both sides, the battle for Delhi has become a high-stakes contest, with slum rehabilitation emerging as a central issue.