2020 Delhi Election: A relaxed Friday before showdown on Saturday

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2020 Delhi Election: A relaxed Friday before showdown on Saturday

Delhi politicians spent a relaxed Friday having sumptuous family lunch, soaking in the sun, and visiting temples

Friday February 7, 2020 7:17 PM, IANS

[Kejriwal had a late breakfast and spent the morning with his family at his Flagstaff Road residence. (Photo tweeted by Arvind Kejriwal)]

New Delhi: It has been a high pitched political battle to claim power in Delhi ahead of the February 8 Assembly elections. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was referred to as a "terrorist" and a "guns vs pens" debate was given back in retaliation. But as campaigning ended at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Delhi politicians spent a relaxed Friday having sumptuous family lunch, soaking in the sun, and visiting temples.

After holding multiple roadshows and making a case for his party, Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor woke late on Friday. "It's a luxury for him, given the strict routine he had to follow in the last few weeks," said an AAP insider.

Kejriwal had a late breakfast and spent the morning with his family at his Flagstaff Road residence.

According to sources, Kejriwal spent the afternoon soaking in the waning winter sun.

But which politician would not need some divine intervention? In the evening, he went to visit the ancient Hanuman temple at Connaught Place, to seek blessings. Interestingly, the old AAP office was a stone's throw from this temple.

He tweeted: "Prayed for the progress of the country and Delhi. God said - "You are doing good work. Keep serving people like this. Leave the fruit on me. Everything will be good."

BJP's Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari too had a much relaxed morning on Friday when he played cricket at Kasturba Nagar.

Donning a green kurta, as Tiwari hit sixes, a few party cadres who were with him cheered to a different tune -- not political, for the first time in days and weeks.

He too sought divine blessings at a Hanuman temple, but in Kalkaji. Wearing a churni, Tiwari prayed. Later, he mingled with the other devotees present and exchanged pleasantries.

But the call of duty soon forced him to drive straight to the Delhi BJP office where BJP President JP Nadda made a surprise visit. Tiwari, in fact, drove wearing the temple churni, to the party office. Later, he also went to the Chhatarpur temple.

Delhi's Congress face Subhash Chopra was holed up in a meeting with party cadres since morning. Unlike Kejriwal and Tiwari, Chopra did not visit temples. But many believe, the Congress fought a disinterested battle in the first place, what to speak of seeking divine intervention.

Other leaders cutting across party lines -- be it Manish Sisodia of the AAP, Gautam Gambhir of the BJP -- all had an easy Friday before the 'Super Saturday' when the polling stations open at 8 a.m. to decide who will rule Delhi for the next five years.

Delhi witnessed a shrill and often polarised election campaign this season when mention of "Shaheen Bagh", "Biryani" to objectionable jibes like "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro s..lo ko" -- all were used.

The relaxed Friday, however, was just the lull before the storm -- when it will be back to politics as usual.

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