Kejriwal in Gujarat on Wednesday, to announce another pre-poll ‘guarantee’

PTI, Aug 9, 2022, 5:32 PM IST

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be on a day-long visit to Gujarat on Wednesday during which he will announce yet another ”guarantee” of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the people of the poll-bound state, a senior leader said on Tuesday.

Kejriwal, the AAP convener, was in Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, over the last weekend and has been frequently touring various districts as part of a strategy to position his party as a contender for power in the state where the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have been the dominant political forces.

”Kejriwalji will be visiting Gujarat tomorrow (Wednesday). He will announce a new ‘guarantee’ for the people of Gujarat at a town hall event in Ahmedabad,” the party’s National Joint General Secretary and Gujarat leader Isudan Gadhvi said at a press conference.

Gadhvi said the new ‘guarantee’ will be for the benefit of ”2.5 crore people” of Gujarat to be announced ahead of Rakshabandhan (to be celebrated on Thursday), but did not elaborate further.

”People are very much enthusiastic about the guarantee of free electricity announced by Kejriwal (during earlier visit). Even BJP workers are excited about this and are asking why the BJP government did not provide them (people of Gujarat) such a relief,” he said.

Gadhvi said the BJP has become scared of such guarantees and therefore moved the Supreme Court against relief measures, referring to a petition filed in the SC on pre-poll announcements by political parties.

The AAP chief had visited Jamnagar and Bodeli in Chhota Udepur during his two-day tour on last Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday, he announced guarantees for the tribals of Gujarat, which included implementation of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act that gives special powers to Gram Sabhas (village councils) especially in management of natural resources.

Kejriwal has also guaranteed jobs to the unemployed youth and Rs 3,000 per month allowance until they get a job. The Delhi CM has promised to involve the trading community in the decision-making process of the government and end ‘raid raj.’ His first pre-poll promise was that of providing free electricity. In an announcement made in Surat last month, Kejriwal said his party will provide free electricity up to 300 units per month to the people of Gujarat if voted to power in the state. This sop is already being provided to the people of Delhi and Punjab, both ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party.