Himanta Biswa's fresh salvo at Kejriwal: ‘His claim will remain a joke forever'

 Himanta Biswa Sarma, Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi, Assam, Politics

Background on the ongoing political feud between Sarma and Kejriwal

Sarma's recent statement on Kejriwal's claims

Kejriwal's response to Sarma's statement

Analysis of the political implications of the feud

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, has taken a fresh jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, calling his claim about the implementation of the Mohalla Clinic model in Assam a "joke forever". This comes amid an ongoing political feud between the two leaders.

Background on the ongoing political feud between Sarma and Kejriwal:

The feud between the two leaders started in 2019 when Kejriwal announced that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would contest the Assembly elections in Assam. Sarma, who was then a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, had challenged Kejriwal to first win the Delhi Assembly elections before thinking of expanding his party's base in other states.

Since then, the two leaders have engaged in a war of words, with Sarma often targeting Kejriwal for his claims about the success of the Mohalla Clinic model in Delhi and his plans to replicate it in other states, including Assam.

Sarma's recent statement on Kejriwal's claims:

In a recent statement, Sarma said that Kejriwal's claims about implementing the Mohalla Clinic model in Assam were baseless and that they would remain a "joke forever". He went on to say that Kejriwal should focus on improving the health infrastructure in Delhi, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarma also criticized Kejriwal for making promises that he could not keep, saying that it was easy to make tall claims, but much harder to deliver on them. He pointed out that the Mohalla Clinic model had not been successful in other states where it had been implemented, including Punjab and Haryana.

Kejriwal's response to Sarma's statement:

Kejriwal hit back at Sarma, saying that the people of Assam had the right to good healthcare, just like the people of Delhi. He accused Sarma of being afraid of implementing the Mohalla Clinic model in Assam because he knew it would expose the poor state of healthcare in the state.

Kejriwal also pointed out that the Mohalla Clinic model had been successful in Delhi and had been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations.

Analysis of the political implications of the feud:

The ongoing feud between Sarma and Kejriwal has political implications for both leaders. Sarma, who recently joined the BJP after leaving the Congress, is seen as a rising star in the party and is widely expected to play a key role in the party's electoral strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam.

On the other hand, Kejriwal, who has been focusing on expanding the AAP's base outside Delhi, is keen to establish a foothold in other states, including Assam. His claims about the success of the Mohalla Clinic model have been a key part of his campaign strategy, and he is unlikely to back down from them.

The feud also reflects the wider political tensions between the BJP and the AAP, which have been at odds with each other over a range of issues, including theThe ongoing political feud between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arvind Kejriwal has been escalating in recent years, with both leaders taking jibes at each other in public. Sarma, who was a senior BJP leader in Assam before becoming the Chief Minister, has been critical of Kejriwal's claims about the success of the Mohalla Clinic model in Delhi and his plans to replicate it in other states, including Assam.

The Mohalla Clinic model, which provides basic healthcare services to people in their neighbourhoods, has been a key part of Kejriwal's campaign strategy. The model has received praise from various international organizations and has been credited with improving access to healthcare in Delhi.

However, Sarma has been dismissive of the model, calling it a "joke forever" and pointing out that it has not been successful in other states where it has been implemented. He has also accused Kejriwal of making promises that he cannot keep and suggested that he should focus on improving the healthcare infrastructure in Delhi first.

Kejriwal, on the other hand, has accused Sarma of being afraid to implement the Mohalla Clinic model in Assam because he knows it would expose the poor state of healthcare in the state. He has also reiterated his commitment to expanding the model to other states and has defended its success in Delhi.

The ongoing feud between the two leaders has wider political implications, as Sarma is seen as a rising star in the BJP and is expected to play a key role in the party's electoral strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam. Meanwhile, Kejriwal is keen to establish a foothold in other states and expand the AAP's base outside Delhi.

The feud also reflects the wider tensions between the BJP and the AAP, which have been at odds with each other over a range of issues, including the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the farmers' protests. The political rivalry between the two parties is expected to intensify in the lead-up to the Assembly elections in various states, including Assam.