Tarn Taran (Punjab): A day after announcing that his party would independently declare candidates for all 13 seats in Punjab and one in Chandigarh in a fortnight, AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal dropped clear hints that AAP would contest all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, delivering a blow to fellow INDIA bloc constituent Congress’s plans to have an alliance in national capital.
“People of Delhi have decided to give all seven seats to AAP,” said Kejriwal in his address to a gathering during a ceremony to inaugurate Sri Guru Amar Das Thermal Plant here, expressing confidence that his party will be victorious in all Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
In last LS elections, BJP had won all seven in a triangular fight, pushing Congress to second position in five seats (North East Delhi, Chandni Chowk, West Delhi, New Delhi and East Delhi) and AAP to third. AAP was runner up in North West Delhi (SC) and South Delhi.
Claiming that AAP govt in Punjab stands as a beacon of honesty, Kejriwal appealed to voters to support his party and ensure victory in all 13 Lok Sabha seats in state. “Such a mandate will empower (chief minister) Bhagwant Mann to serve people with even greater dedication and expedite resolution of your issues.”
Describing his party as a “10-year-old baby”, Kejriwal said AAP had formed govts in two states within that time frame and won assembly seats in Gujarat and Goa. “This fledgling party of a decade has instilled fear in major political entities like BJP, even haunting them in their dreams.”
“Wherever we fight elections, we secure so many votes. Today, BJP fears that if (AAP) continues to grow like this, then there will be an AAP govt at Centre,” Kejriwal said and added that “they want AAP to be crushed and finished... arrest (our leaders), defame AAP. They make new accusations every day.”