Yamuna Pollution Takes Centre Stage in Delhi Assembly Election Campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, using the Yamuna River’s pollution as a key issue to target former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. On Saturday, BJP candidate Parvesh Verma staged a symbolic protest, taking a boat ride on the Yamuna with a life-size cutout of Kejriwal holding his ears in apparent shame. The cutout carried the slogan: “Main fail ho gaya, mujhe vote mat dena. 2025 tak main Yamuna saaf nai kar paya” (I failed. Don’t vote for me; I couldn’t clean the Yamuna by 2025).

Verma criticized Kejriwal’s unfulfilled promise to clean the river, suggesting that cleaning the Yamuna is not “rocket science” and proposing solutions such as dredging silt, building sewage treatment plants, and creating a Yamuna Riverfront modeled after Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Riverfront.

Political Debate Over Yamuna Pollution

Yamuna River pollution has become a heated topic, with opposition parties attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its failure to address the issue. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav defended Kejriwal, mocking Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath by questioning if he would dare to drink Yamuna water in Mathura.

Congress candidate Alka Lamba accused both the BJP and AAP of reducing the river to a “political issue,” pledging that Congress would prioritize cleaning the Yamuna if given a chance.

Delhi Assembly Election Details

The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8. A total of 699 candidates are contesting 70 seats in the capital, where pollution and infrastructure remain central issues for voters.