To Sheila Dikshit's Meal Invite With Barb, Arvind Kejriwal's Salty RSVP

Claiming that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was spreading rumours about her health, Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit extended a 'special' invitation to him on Saturday, a day before voting in Delhi. Ms Dikshit, the Congress candidate from North-East Delhi constituency, called over Mr Kejriwal for a meal, but only if he "had nothing better to do".

Tagging Mr Kejriwal in a tweet, she highlighted three "benefits" to Mr Kejriwal if he accepted the invite.

"Why do you spread rumours about my health? If you have nothing better to do, come over to have a meal. You will see how I am doing, have a meal and learn to fight elections without spreading rumours," the 81-year-old former chief minister wrote in Hindi.

Arvind Kejriwal promptly responded.

"My family taught me to respect elders," he said, replying to Ms Dikshit's tweet, adding that he never commented on her health.

Wishing her good health and calling back to the time he had paid the octogenarian Congress leader a visit before she had left for France last year to receive treatment for a heart condition, Mr Kejriwal "accepted" Ms Dikshit's invite, asking her for a time and date.

In the tweet, he also wished for good health and a long life for Ms Dikshit.

Ms Dikshit and Mr Kejriwal have been bitter rivals ever since his Aam Aadmi Party yanked power from the Congress in 2014.

Their parties, the Congress and AAP, have since never lost the opportunity to have a go at each other's throats, whether over remarks after a power tussle between Mr Kejriwal and Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor, or over continuing talks over a failed seat-sharing arrangement for Delhi, amid the national elections.

The parties however, support each other at the national level, being a part of the opposition mahagathbandhan.

Delhi votes on Sunday in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Results are due on May 23.