The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Delhi convener Gopal Rai on Tuesday launched the party’s Lok Sabha campaign, “Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se” from Vishwas Nagar in east Delhi, and said that the “emotional connect” of the people of the city with jailed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has increased after his arrest.
Rai accompanied by party workers distributed pamphlets bearing the image of Kejriwal behind bars and also a smaller image of the AAP’s Lok Sabha candidate for the seat. He interacted with the residents of the area and said that Delhi’s elected chief minister has been jailed by the ruling BJP in the Centre and criticised the Union government for a “dictatorial attitude”.
Read here: ‘Biggest political conspiracy’: AAP on excise case after HC blow to Kejriwal, will challenge decision in Supreme Court
“Delhi’s elected CM has been arrested and he cannot take part in the campaign and so, on his behalf AAP workers are going door to door with one clear message. The people of Delhi elected him and he worked to provide them with 24-hour free electricity, free water, improved schools, hospitals among other initiatives. He also promised to provide ₹1,000 per month to the women of Delhi, but he was jailed by the BJP. Our message is that if people of Delhi want that their elected CM should come out of jail, they should respond with their votes,” Rai said.
He added that the slogan of the campaign is “Jhadu Ki Chot Se, Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se”, highlighting the party’s election symbol.
Rai said that the response on the first day was good and people were upset that their elected CM was jailed. “The emotional connect of the people with their CM has increased after his arrest,” he said.
The party’s candidate Kuldeep Kumar said that the campaign will focus on defeating the “conspiracy” of the BJP to jail the CM. “People of Delhi will press the button next to the broom on May 25,” he added.
Polls for Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy that has now been scrapped. He has been sent to judicial custody till April 15.
On Monday, AAP relaunched its Lok Sabha election campaign at the party headquarters. The new campaign was launched exactly a month after Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launched AAP’s Lok Sabha campaign, “Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal, Toh Delhi Hogi Aur Khushhal”, seeking a vote for the party in Delhi’s seven parliamentary seats.
“We request people to join the movement and inform their friends and family members that it is important to strengthen the hands of Kejriwal,” AAP leader Sandeep Pathak said. The AAP is contesting four seats in Delhi in alliance with Congress, which is contesting three.
Read here: Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest: After setback in HC, AAP says it is hopeful of relief from SC
Reacting to the AAP campaign, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that the AAP’s door-to-door election campaign will prove to be a failure — like their rally on March 31, and call for a fast on April 7 — “both of which flopped in raising any public support”.
Credit: Source link