NEW DELHI / GUJARAT:
The political landscape in Gujarat witnessed a significant shift as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) embarked on its “Gujarat mein bhi Kejriwal” campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Led by AAP’s national Convenor and Delhi CM, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and accompanied by Punjab CM Sardar Bhagwant Mann, the campaign was kicked off in Vadodara. Prominent leaders of the party, including Bharuch candidate Chaitar Vasava and Bhavnagar candidate Umesh Bhai Makwana, marked their presence at this event.
Speaking to the press, Shri Arvind Kejriwal underscored the growing support for the INDIA alliance nationwide, emphasizing the readiness of the people of Gujarat to challenge the corruption and misgovernance of the BJP. Notably, Gujarat had unanimously elected all 26 BJP candidates in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, the AAP National Convenor questioned the BJP on crucial issues like paper leaks and toxic liquor. Shri Arvind Kejriwal further pledged that if AAP candidates secure parliamentary seats, they will be staunch advocates for Gujarat’s interests. He also criticized the BJP for neglecting tribal communities, highlighting the absence of essential infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and roads in tribal areas.
AAP National Convenor and Delhi’s CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated, “In December 2022, Gujarat’s assembly Elections were held, 2 years ago when we came to Gujarat to contest that election with adequate preparations, everyone used to say, ‘the AAP will get nothing. Only 2 parties rule Gujarat, only historically these two parties have been ruling there’s no scope for any third party. Suddenly this ‘3rd’ came to the fore and garnered 14% vote share.”
The AAP National Convenor continued, “Gujarat is hailed as BJP’s fortress. We entered the lion’s den and captured 14% vote share and 5 MLAs. We successfully broke the myth that Gujarat only elects 2 parties. The AAP was a new party that was contesting elections in Gujarat for the first time. We had very little time then so we couldn’t do much election campaigning. We couldn’t put our agendas, couldn’t reach every corner of the state, and we lacked resources too. Keeping these things in mind, 14% vote share and 5 MLAs, was a remarkable victory for the AAP.”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal further added that with as much honesty and dedication, the Aam Aadmi Party is working across the entire country, for the people, for the issues of the public, for the education of your children, for the healthcare of your family, for your roads, electricity, water; no other party works like this. People gave BJP 156 seats in Gujarat, what more will they give? What useless love will people give? I can see, in over a year, that not even a bit of work has been done by the BJP even after getting 156 seats. Recently, our government came to power in Punjab, so much work is happening inside Punjab as Maan Sahab explained. In Gujarat even after getting 156 seats, they (BJP) are defecting MLAs from other parties to make them join the BJP.
“There is only one party in the country today that is working for the nation, working for your future, and my heart says that one day, the Aam Aadmi Party will free this country from the BJP. My heart says that one day, the Aam Aadmi Party will form the government at the centre, and when that day comes, the history of the Aam Aadmi Party will be written, and it will be seen how a small seedling that started in 2012 grew into a national party and who made it. Gujarat’s name will be written in golden letters. The people of Gujarat made ‘AAP’ a national party, the people of Gujarat placed the Aam Aadmi Party on the map of national politics,” the AAP National Convenor mentioned.
“In the past two elections, 2014 and 2019, you have been giving all 26 out of 26 seats to the BJP. What did you gain by giving all 26 seats to the BJP? Have these 26 MPs done any work for you? Has even one of them raised your voice in Parliament? How many times have there been liquor scandals in Gujarat? How many people died here due to alcohol, and not a single MP raised your voice? Where were these MPs when there was a liquor scandal here, and people were dying due to fake alcohol? Your 26 MPs were sleeping at home. When your children’s exam papers were leaked, unemployed youth protested on the streets for employment, and the police lathi-charged them, where were your 26 MPs? They were sleeping inside their homes. What’s the benefit of having such 26 MPs?” Shri Arvind Kejriwal reasoned.
The AAP National Convenor expressed, “Today, I have come to tell the people of Gujarat that you have been giving them all the seats, try giving me two seats this time and see. You’ve tried the BJP’s commodities, now try mine. Win ours two, I’m telling you, as Maan Sahab said, there won’t be a day when Gujarat’s voice won’t be heard in the Lok Sabha. Your issues will be raised and beware if spurious liquor come back to Gujarat and beware if your children’s exams are leaked again. If your children’s exams are leaked in Gujarat, your voice will echo across the entire country. The whole country will know if fake alcohol is sold here again. If the Morbi bridge collapses again, its echo will reverberate across the entire country, then they won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”
He further mentioned In the Khattamba village of Vadodara, a leader of the BJP went to inaugurate a BJP office, and the ‘Sarpanch’ (village head) stood up and said that there are no schools here. “They are building 5-star hotels like offices across the country, but they are not building a single school in the entire country. Schools are being built in Delhi, but there is no office of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. After ruling Gujarat for 30 years, if a person amongst people stands up and says, ‘Saaheb, your office is being built, it’s a very good thing, but if you could also build schools’. Then it’s a matter of shame. What have they done in 30 years? Within just 2 years in Punjab, we have built so many schools, and within 10 years in Delhi, schools and hospitals have been built in every neighborhood. Can’t these (BJP) people do it? But they will never do it, they don’t even have the desire to work for you. They (BJP) only want power, power through money, money through power,” the AAP chief added.
Narrating the tragic incident that AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava endured, Shri Arvind Kejriwal shared, “Chaitar Bhai is a big hero in my eyes, I am very proud that Chaitar Bhai is in our party. In today’s era, very few people are found who go to jail for others and sacrifice everything for others. He was arrested, why was he arrested? The forest department officials were grabbing the land of poor farmers in his area. He intervened stopped the forest department officials, and got the land back for the farmers. Because of this they arrested him, and put him in jail?”
“The BJP crossed all limits, they stooped so low, your fight is with Chaitar Bhai, but they even caught his wife and put her in jail. Who could be so filthy? Your fight is with him, at least leave his wife, and forgive the family. How filthy were their intentions, their intention was to break Chaitar Bhai. Even before, they had been after Chaitar Bhai for a year, the BJP people were saying, ‘Come to our party, they (BJP) do this always. Take crores of rupees, and join our party (BJP) today, there is nothing left in the Aam Aadmi Party. When Chaitar Bhai didn’t break, they arrested him. The BJP people came to meet him in jail and said how long will you stay in jail, how long will you continue this. I along with Sardar Bhagwant Mann came from Delhi, and we both went to meet Chaitar Bhai and his wife in jail. Chaitar Bhai didn’t break, neither did his wife,” the AAP National Convenor added.
The AAP supremo appealed to the voters to elect Chaitar Vasava with a huge majority. “Chaitar is in politics, this keeps happening in politics. When we met his wife in jail, his wife also had a smile on her face. We thought she would be angry with us. ‘What are you guys doing? Our family has been ruined’. But she was also smiling and smilingly she said, ‘don’t worry, we are fine here’. I salute his wife. Today both of them have returned and I hope that the people there will send them back from Bharuch seat with a huge, historic majority. I was listening just now; people were saying 50,000. No, Chaitar Bhai should win with a historic majority.
Urging the voters to elect a young and dynamic MP from their constituency, the AAP National Convenor said I also want to say that the BJP has again given ticket to Mansukh Bhai against him. Mansukh Bhai, now an old man, has retired. I came to know that he had also resigned from the BJP, they (BJP) did not accept his resignation. So, your Chaitar is young, he fights for you, works for you day and night. Mansukh Bhai has been there for 30 years; 30 years is a long time. “Now try a new man, leave him. So, this is my appeal to the people of Bharuch,” he said.
Criticising the BJP for neglecting the tribal area, Shri Arvind Kejriwal said Chaitar Vasava will be the right choice for the development of Bharuch. “The entire Bharuch is a poor area with tribal people. These people hate tribals. Tell me, what did the BJP people do with Hemant Soren? I did the entire case study, Hemant Soren is absolutely innocent, why he was caught and put in jail _ he is a tribal, that is why they caught him and put him in jail. He was the only tribal Chief Minister in the entire country. They caught him and put him in jail. So, the Bharatiya Janata Party hates the tribals, today the BJP people have kept the entire tribal area in Gujarat as its most backward area. In the last 30 years, there may have been some development in other places, but no schools, no hospitals, no roads were built in the tribal areas of Gujarat. These people just eat up all the funds that comes for the tribals. So, I have a request, an appeal to the entire tribal area to elect their son Chaitar this time,” he said.
Applauding the two Lok Sabha candidates for their commitment to the AAP and their past work in the development of their constituencies as MLA, the AAP National Convenor said, “Our candidate from Bhavnagar is Umesh Bhai. I don’t know how many people know that a few months before the assembly elections, there was a fatal attack on Umesh Bhai by the BJP people. If you see the picture when he was hospitalised, you will also get scared. He was hit so hard by the rod that his legs were broken. At one point I thought whether he would survive or not. But they have come back from there (jail and fatal attack). They (BJP) were also telling them that leave the Aam Aadmi Party. Many times, I feel shudder in my body when I think that there are workers like Chaitar and Umesh Bhai in our party who are risking their lives to not leave the party. He (Umeshbhai Makwana) comes from the Koli community, and I hope that this time the people of Bhavnagar will vote for him (and elect him) with a huge majority. So, today I have come to seek votes for these two seats from the people of Gujarat.”
Reminding the electorate of the track record of the AAP in Gujarat and Punjab, Shri Arvind Kejriwal appealed to them to vote for its Lok Sabha candidates in Bharuch and Bhavnagar. “Last year in Punjab, Jalandhar seat became vacant for MP. We went to Jalandhar, I and Mann saab, and we said there are Lok Sabha elections after one year, give us this seat, we will do so much work in one year that we will come to you next year. If you like the work, then vote. Now there is such a great atmosphere in the entire Punjab that we will win 13 out of 13 (Lok Sabha) seats. Today, this is what I am going to say in Gujarat. You gave us 4 MLAs, I keep talking to all four _ one MLA cheated and went away, there were 5 MLAs. All four are doing such a good job. You give us these two MPs; they will do such a wonderful job. On one hand, they will raise your voice in the Lok Sabha and on the other hand, they will develop your area, build schools, hospitals, build roads. If you do not like the work of these two, then I will not come to ask for votes in the 2027 assembly elections,” he said.
The Delhi Chief Minister said vote for the party that is seeking votes and not for those who take voters for granted. “These BJP people are roaming around the country saying that 370 is coming for us, we do not want your vote, you sit in your house. ‘If you want to vote, then vote; if you don’t want to vote, then don’t vote. We don’t want your vote.’ So, what is the use of voting for such people? Don’t know from where they are bringing 370. Let them bring it,” he said.
The AAP National Convenor urged the Gujarat voters to elect his party’s candidates. “I need your votes. I have come from Delhi to beseech you for your vote. I also want it, Chaitar Bhai, Umesh Bhai and Bhagwant Mann also want it. We need your votes, we consider you our God; we consider you our master, we are your servants. We need the votes of the people of Gujarat. So, you vote for us, vote for the one who wants vote, vote for the one who is asking for vote. The one who doesn’t want vote is saying that they are getting 370 (seats). Tell them to take 370 (seats) from wherever they want. We want votes, vote for us. So, give us a chance. I assure you that once the people of Gujarat give two MPs to the Aam Aadmi Party, in 2027, the Aam Aadmi Party government will be formed in Gujarat and then no one will be able to shake it,” concluded the AAP supremo.
During this time, Punjab’s CM Sardar Bhagwant Mann said that whenever it will be asked which state contributed to making the Aam Aadmi Party a national party, the name of Gujarat will come up. In the Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections, the people of Gujarat gave the Aam Aadmi Party 14% of vote share. The whole country saw how democracy was murdered in Chandigarh. It’s fortunate that CCTV cameras were installed, and then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court saw what was happening in the cameras. Only out of the 36 votes, the presiding officer canceled 8 votes of the AAP and forcefully made the BJP’s mayor. It has never happened in judicial history that the Supreme Court announced the name of the mayor. We are happy that our mayor has been made in Chandigarh, but the sorrow is that they destroyed 25% of the opposition’s votes. Now in the Lok Sabha elections in May, 92 crores votes will be counted, how will these votes be counted transparently? How much rigging can be done in it? Today, the Constitution and democracy are in danger. That’s why the Aam Aadmi Party has come to save the Constitution and democracy of the country for the people of Gujarat. The Aam Aadmi Party is part of the INDIA Alliance.
The Punjab CM mentioned that people of the ‘Adivasi’ society living in Gujarat are being deprived of water, forests, and land. Against this, our candidate Chaitar Vasava raised his voice from Bharuch, so he was put in jail with his wife. Someone went to Delhi and told the big boss that Shri Manish Sisodia has improved government schools in Delhi. Now children from private schools are getting admitted to government schools, and then Shri Manish Sisodia was put in jail. Similarly, Shri Satyendar Jain was put in jail for making government hospitals magnificent and building Mohalla Clinics. Shri Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, was put in jail, for raising the voice of the people in the Rajya Sabha. Now these people are after Shri Arvind Kejriwal. So far, Shri Arvind Kejriwal has received 8 summons. What is going on? These people will arrest Shri Arvind Kejriwal, but how will they arrest his ideology? In the last 10-11 years, crores of Kejriwals have been born in the country, how will they put them in jail? The Aam Aadmi Party will not end like this. It is a misconception that they will stop Shri Arvind Kejriwal. We do politics of work, not of name.
Sardar Bhagwant Mann shared, “On March 16, 2022, I took the oath of CM in Punjab. Instead of the Raj Bhavan, I went to the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to take the oath. We paid homage to Bhagat Singh’s ideology and sacrifice, and on the occasion of completion of 2 years of the our government, on March 16, I will also go to his village to pay my respects. So far, ‘Bhagat Singh ke Sapno ki Azadi’ (Freedom of Bhagat Singh’s dreams) has not reached the homes of common people; it has remained confined to big mansions. Under the leadership of Shri Arvind Kejriwal, we are fighting to bring the freedom of Bhagat Singh’s dreams to the common people. Before this ‘jhadu’, we used to clean houses and shops, but now under Kejriwal’s leadership, the whole of Hindustan will be cleaned.
“In the last two years, without recommendation and bribery, I have provided more than 43,000 government jobs in Punjab. 829 Mohalla Clinics have been established. So far, more than 1.25 crore individuals have received treatment in Mohalla Clinics. We are opening magnificent schools of eminence. Often, we see governments sell government institutions to their friends. But the AAP government has purchased a private thermal power plant with a capacity of 540 megawatts in Punjab. This plant was running at a loss. Every family is getting 300 units of electricity for free, and electricity is available 24 hours a day. Today, big companies are coming to invest in Punjab. Now the Punjab government is going to people’s homes and doing their work. Our intention is good, that’s why so much work is happening,” the Punjab CM stated.
Sardar Bhagwant Mann said to the people of Gujarat that if they give them (BJP) 26 out of 26 seats, they become mute and deaf in parliament. They don’t raise your voice. I have also been a Member of Parliament, but I have never seen Gujarat’s MPs raise their voice. That’s why our appeal is that this time give all 26 seats to the INDIA Alliance. We promise that your voice will be heard every day in parliament. We are patriotic people; we will not let the country be divided. There is dictatorship in the country. If Gujarat gives 2 seats to the Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat will become the Gateway of India. This time, the Aam Aadmi Party is winning all 13 seats in Punjab, 1 in Kurukshetra, and all 4 seats in Delhi. These people are stopping our every work now, but when there are 25-30 AAP MPs in parliament, no one will be able to stop our work.
