New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Weeks ago, Arvind Kejriwal unveiled AAP's manifesto with a bold demand-scrap income tax on earnings up to Rs 10 lakh.

With the Delhi elections just around the corner, this middle-class windfall could spell disaster for AAP's campaign, particularly for Kejriwal in his own constituency, New Delhi.

The government delivered and in grand fashion. From PM Narendra Modi to President Droupadi Murmu, the Budget speech was a love letter to the middle class, hailing them as the backbone of India's growth.

Even Kejriwal, who has long championed welfare for the underprivileged, suddenly found himself praising middle-class taxpayers for funding his government's schemes.

Delhi's electorate is overwhelmingly urban-97% reside in c...