Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to woo farmers in poll-bound Punjab on Thursday to boost AAP’s poll campaign, but not before being heckled by women activists of rival parties at New Delhi and Ludhiana railway stations.
Starting his four-day visit to Punjab, the AAP chief promised sops like loan and interest waiver, and also announced that he would not leave the state until his party formed the next government and the ruling Badals were “sent to jail”. An SAD-BJP alliance—led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal — is in power in Punjab where elections will take place early next year.
“Farmers in Punjab are committing suicide. If AAP comes to power in Punjab, farmers of the state will be made debt-free by December 2018,” Mr Kejriwal told reporters in Ludhiana, while asserting his party would not be cowed down by the “pre-planned” protests by BJP, SAD and Congress workers. The protesters demanded Mr Kejriwal spoke up on the alleged “misconduct” of his colleagues.
The party that won a surprise four seats in the 2014 national elections has been trying to project itself as a viable alternative. But Mr Kejriwal’s visit comes at a time when AAP is grappling with controversies including its Punjab chief Sucha Singh Chotepur’s removal on corruption charges, and the sacking of Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar over a sex scandal.
“CDs will surface, accusations will be made and people will protest. I have learnt that Sukhbir Badal has got 63 fake CDs made against us, he has hired a video company that comes out with 2-4 CDs every now and then,” Mr Kejriwal said. He said that he would release a farmers’ manifesto on September 11 at Bagha Purana in Moga district.
The AAP chief’s relocation plan also comes amid criticism by rivals that instead of focusing on Delhi, which elected him with a record mandate, he has been visiting poll-bound states to boost AAP’s prospects.
