According to reports, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena informed departing Chief Minister Atishi that the "curse of Yamuna Maa" was the reason the AAP lost the elections. When Atishi went to Raj Bhawan on Sunday to tender her resignation, the statement was made. Atishi was reminded by Saxena that he had previously warned AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal about this "curse" when he went to the Supreme Court to stop a project that was supposed to clean the Yamuna River, according to sources. According to a TOI article, the LG's secretariat declined to comment, and Atishi did not reply to the comments.
Supreme Court's Yamuna Panel Stay
Saxena and Kejriwal had a disagreement two years prior, which is when the "curse" was mentioned. Due to increasing pollution levels, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) established a high-level committee under the LG in January 2023 to supervise the Yamuna's revitalization. Kejriwal initially backed the initiative, but the Delhi government eventually filed a Supreme Court challenge against the NGT's ruling. The government contended that the panel should be led by a domain expert. For more than two years, the court's stay of the NGT's ruling has been in effect.
The AAP's Position on the Yamuna Problem
According to sources, Kejriwal resisted the panel because he was worried that if the project was carried out under the LG's direction, the AAP would not be given credit for it. Kejriwal promised to clean the Yamuna in five years in 2015, but he never followed through on his promise. The BJP criticized him on this unmet pledge, which turned into a significant electoral issue. Kejriwal had previously stated that the Yamuna will be so pure by 2025 that he would bathe in it, BJP leaders reminded voters.
Effect on the Election and the Gains of the BJP
Migrants from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh who celebrate Chhath Puja along the riverbanks found the situation especially poignant. According to post-election analysis, a sizable portion of Poorvanchali voters who had previously voted for the AAP switched to the BJP. Voter mood was also influenced by the AAP's handling of the pollution crisis and its increasing.
Haryana and PM Modi's response are to blame.
Kejriwal accused the Haryana government of contaminating the Yamuna as the criticism grew. BJP leaders and Haryana authorities responded sharply to this assertion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chastised the AAP for "disrespecting people's beliefs," a reference to Chhath Puja, after the election results were announced. Additionally, Modi promised to make the river cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. He ended his remarks by reciting the phrase "Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai."
