Atishi, relatives of Bidhuri booked for poll code violation in Kalkaji

Delhi CM Atishi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow. File
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

A day before polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly, the Delhi police on Tuesday (February 4, 2025) registered an FIR against Chief Minister Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Kalkaji Assembly seat, for violating the model code of conduct (MCC), an officer said.

The police also registered a case against Manish Bidhuri and Ravi Dayama, the family members of BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri who is up against the CM in the south-east Delhi constituency, for poll code violation. Two AAP members — Ashmit and Sagar Mehta — were booked for assaulting a police constable.

Party chief Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Election Commission (EC) and the Delhi police for “targeting his party” and “allowing the BJP” to violate the poll code openly. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann also raised questions over the “integrity of the EC and Delhi Police”.

According to the police, Ms. Atishi, along with 60 to 70 supporters seated in 10 vehicles, arrived at Fateh Singh Marg in Govindpuri at 12.39 a.m. “They [AAP workers] were asked to vacate the area as the poll campaign had ended. But they refused to do so and obstructed head constable Kaushal Pal from discharging his duty,” a senior officer said, adding that the two AAP members also assaulted Mr. Pal.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Ravi Kumar Singh said the family members of the BJP candidate were found roaming in Kalkaji despite not being registered voters of the area and were booked for violating the MCC.

In a post in Hindi on X, the AAP chief said that the police had acted against the CM “after she complained [to the police] about the open hooliganism of the BJP”.

In a post on the social networking platform, Ms. Atishi said, “Ramesh Bidhuriji’s family members are openly violating the MCC. No action is being taken against them. I filed a complaint and called the police, and they [the police] filed a case against me.”

Hitting back, the former BJP MP said Ms. Atishi “is in a panic over her imminent defeat” and asked her to “maintain the dignity befitting a CM”.