As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces a resounding defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, marking the end of its decade-long rule in the national capital, a social media post by Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has gone viral on social media.
Arvind Kejriwal, AAP's leader and former chief minister, suffered a loss in his New Delhi constituency to BJP's Parvesh Verma, who is widely regarded as a potential chief ministerial candidate. The BJP will return to power in Delhi after a 26-year hiatus.
Amidst this drama, Ms Maliwal shared an image on social media featuring a painting depicting the 'cheerharan' (disrobing) of Draupadi from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) February 8, 2025
Ms Maliwal, once a close associate of Mr Kejriwal, has emerged as one of his most vocal critics in recent times. Ms Maliwal, who also served as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, has publicly expressed her disillusionment with Mr Kejriwal's leadership and his party's direction.
In May 2024, Ms Maliwal accused Bibhav Kumar, a close aide of Mr Kejriwal, of assaulting her at the Chief Minister's official residence. She alleged that during a visit to discuss pressing issues, she was "beaten badly" in the drawing room while Mr Kejriwal was present in the house.
The rift widened further during the Haryana assembly elections in October 2024. Ms Maliwal accused Mr Kejriwal of betraying the opposition INDIA Bloc by campaigning in Haryana to settle scores with the Congress, thereby diverting votes away from the alliance.
In the lead-up to the Delhi elections, Ms Maliwal was detained by Delhi Police after staging a protest outside Mr Kejriwal's residence, demanding action on the government's failure to clean the Yamuna River. She also highlighted issues such as Delhi's garbage crisis, clogged drains, and deteriorating infrastructure - problems that AAP had pledged to address.
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