BJP launches poster war against Kejriwal ahead of Delhi polls
As the Delhi Assembly elections approach, the political atmosphere in the Capital has heated up with a new weapon of choice — a series of satirical and Bollywood-inspired posters aimed at mocking AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi BJP has taken an unconventional route, using humour and cinematic references to target the ruling party and its national convener.
On Tuesday, the BJP unveiled a striking poster of Kejriwal, depicting him in a theatrical priest-like avatar reminiscent of Rajpal Yadav’s popular character Chhota Pandit from film Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The poster shows Kejriwal draped in rudraksha beads, flower garlands and covered in vermilion, with incense sticks tucked behind his ear. The BJP’s message was clear, calling Kejriwal a “chunavi Hindu” (Hindu for election purposes), with the tagline: “Mandir jana hai bas mere liye ek chalava, pujarion ka samman bas mera chunavi dikhava, sanatan dharm ka maine hamesha mazaak uraya.” This mocked Kejriwal’s public displays of religious sentiment, accusing him of using religion for political gain during elections.
The poster, which blends political satire with Bollywood humour, quickly gained traction on social media, with BJP supporters sharing it widely as a humorous critique of Kejriwal’s image-building efforts. However, the message was sharp: the BJP painted Kejriwal as someone who manipulates religious symbols and rituals for electoral gain, while neglecting the real issues faced by Delhi citizens.
But the BJP didn’t stop there. On Wednesday, the party took the attacks further, releasing another poster that dubbed Kejriwal the “biggest thug”, with the tagline, “Aesa koi mila nahi jisko aap ne thagga nahi”. The poster implied that Kejriwal had deceived the people of Delhi with false promises and failed policies, making him the “thug” of the city.
The BJP’s poster war had begun on Christmas, when the party took aim at Kejriwal’s governance. The Christmas poster, which read ‘Mahila samman ke naam par mahilaon se chal, Sanjeevani yojana ke naam par bujurgon se chal, Farzi yojnaon se Delhi ko thagne wale Delhi ke mahathug se savdhaan”, called Kejriwal a “chaliya naag” (deceptive snake), accusing him of fooling women and the elderly in Delhi with his failed schemes.
Adding a further Bollywood twist to the poster war, the BJP also released a provocative Christmas eve poster, likening Kejriwal to the character ‘Aparichit’ from film Aparichit (The Unknown). In the film, the protagonist suffers from multiple personality disorders, and the BJP used this analogy to suggest that Kejriwal’s political persona is equally confusing and inconsistent.
The BJP’s poster campaign has successfully created a buzz, blending political criticism with popular culture to drive home its point about Kejriwal’s alleged dishonesty and hypocrisy. The use of Bollywood references has not only made the posters more engaging but also resonated with a wide audience, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist of the Capital.
