Poster Politics: BJP Portrays Arvind Kejriwal as Mogambo Ahead of Delhi Polls
In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, the rivalry between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reached a new level of intensity with a creative and sharp poster war.
Both parties leveraged Bollywood imagery and satire to capture voter attention, amplifying their political narratives.
Kejriwal as Mogambo: BJP’s Latest Salvo
On Monday, the Delhi BJP launched a provocative poster depicting AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal as Mogambo, the iconic villain from the 1987 Bollywood hit Mr. India, played by the late Amrish Puri.
The poster bore the caption: “Purvanchaliyon se Nafrat ki Aag” (“Fiery Hatred Against People from Purvanchal”). This was a direct attack on Kejriwal, accusing him of belittling the Purvanchali community by calling some voters “fake.”
The BJP claimed that Kejriwal’s focus was on appeasing illegal settlements of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis while disregarding the interests of Purvanchalis.
“AAP’s anti-Purvanchal face has been exposed before the whole country. People from UP-Bihar living in Delhi are fake for Arvind Kejriwal. But are Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators his friends?” read the BJP’s poster.
AAP’s Counterattack: Mockery Through Parody
AAP responded with a satirical spoof video inspired by the 1996 Bollywood film Diljale.
The parody, shared on social media platform X, featured a fictional exchange between Amrish Puri’s character, Dara, and a deepfake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The video mocked BJP for not having a strong Chief Ministerial candidate in Delhi.
“Staring at defeat in Delhi, BJP is in a fix,” the AAP’s post declared. In the clip, Dara ridiculed Shah’s alleged lack of vision: “Where is the groom, where is the vision? There are only abuses. Kejriwal has worked for Delhi, but you have only given abuses.”
The Battle Escalates: More Posters and Allegations
This exchange was just the latest in an ongoing “poster-video war” between the two political rivals.
Previously, AAP had released a poster depicting BJP’s Kalkaji candidate, Ramesh Bidhuri, as Kalakeya, the antagonist from Bahubali 1. The caption branded him the “CM face of the abusive party.”
The BJP countered by dubbing Kejriwal as “Sheeshmahal wale AAP-da-e-aazam,” criticizing him for extravagant renovations at his official residence.
They described these expenses as excessive and emblematic of Kejriwal’s alleged hypocrisy.
In another attack, the BJP accused Kejriwal of masterminding a liquor scam worth Rs 2,026 crore, releasing a poster that featured him holding a glass of liquor.
The caption claimed: “The people of Delhi will settle the accounts on February 5.”
Bollywood Themes Dominate Campaigns
Both parties extensively used Bollywood themes to amplify their messages.
The BJP’s posters referenced Kejriwal’s alleged failures through cinematic imagery, while AAP’s spoof videos poked fun at BJP’s lack of leadership and direction.
For instance, AAP released a parody poster featuring Congress leaders Alka Lamba, Ajay Maken, and Sandeep Dikshit as pawns in Amit Shah’s chess game, emphasizing their claim that BJP and Congress were colluding.
Stakes High as Delhi Prepares to Vote
The elections for Delhi’s 70-member assembly are scheduled for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8.
Both parties are vying fiercely for the Purvanchali vote bank, a critical demographic in the national capital.
Through posters, videos, and sharp rhetoric, the AAP and BJP are not only contesting policies but also waging a battle of wit and creativity in the public sphere.
As election day approaches, the intensity of this unconventional campaigning highlights the evolving nature of political communication in India, where satire and cinema often go hand-in-hand with serious electoral strategies.
