Aam Aadmi Party‘s (AAP) Haryana unit president Sushil Gupta said change is imminent and people of the State are going to oust the ruling BJP in the October 5 Assembly polls.
“Various sections of the society, including farmers, youth, employees, women, are fed up with the BJP government, which has failed on all fronts”, he said.
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“’Badlav’ (change) is imminent and people are going to oust the BJP from power,” said Mr. Gupta, whose party is contesting the elections independently.
“What is the law and order situation in the State today? Every day so many incidents of crime are being reported. People are feeling insecure and there is unemployment problem, drug problem, inflation..,” he said.
Mr. Gupta (63) said AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who last week joined the party’s poll campaign in Haryana, will be addressing a series of public meetings till the campaigning comes to an end.
Mr. Kejriwal on Friday (September 20, 2024) held a roadshow in Jagadhri and claimed that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party. Targeting the BJP, he had claimed that the entire State wants “badlaav” (change).
The AAP is contesting the Haryana polls on its own after its talks with the Congress over a seat-share agreement broke down. Mr. Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister after being released from Tihar jail last week in the excise policy case. Delhi Minister Atishi later took oath as Chief Minister.
Mr. Gupta touched upon the five “Kejriwal’s guarantees” which the party had launched in July for the polls in Haryana, promising free electricity for domestic category, free education in schools, free medical treatment to people, ₹1,000 per month to every woman in the State and employment for youngsters.
“Giving guarantees to the people was started by Arvind Kejriwal. Unlike other parties, which make promises, but don’t implement them in true spirit, the AAP has delivered on its guarantees, be it in Punjab or Delhi,” Mr. Gupta told PTI. He said Mr. Kejriwal joining the Haryana poll campaign has given a big boost to the party.
Mr. Gupta, who is actively involved in the party’s poll campaigning, said the AAP has a good organisational structure in the State. He also said the AAP has more than 15 lakh active members in the State.
“If I talk about office bearers, at block level, there are more than 10,000 members. Besides, we have 21-member village committees,” he said. Mr. Gupta said while people are fed up with the BJP, they will also reject outfits such as the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the polls.
“One thing is clear that JJP and INLD, whenever they get a chance they will go with the BJP. And people know this,” he said.
“The AAP is getting good response from the people,” he said, adding that people have seen how a change was brought about in Delhi and Punjab by the AAP dispensations in matters of health, education, employment.
On rival parties claiming that the AAP has no base in Haryana, Mr. Gupta said in Delhi too parties like BJP used to say so.
“But we are going to form a government for the fourth time there after the elections. In Punjab too they used to say the same thing, everyone knows there was an AAP storm in the State in 2022 as we swept the polls,” he said. “Arvind Kejriwal has come to change the country’s politics,” Mr. Gupta said.
On the BJP dubbing Mr. Kejriwal’s resignation as a stunt, he said, “Whatever the BJP may say, but I can tell you one thing that (Narendra) Modi is scared of Arvind Kejriwal. That is why they put virtually our entire national leadership behind bars by bringing up false cases, they tried to break our leadership. But none of our leaders broke, rather they came out strongly. He [Kejriwal] decided to go before people’s court and dared to say that he was resigning and if they feel he was dishonest, don’t vote for him,” Mr. Gupta said.
“Kejriwal is the only leader who even otherwise keeps telling people that if they feel he has done work vote for him otherwise don’t. How many leaders can do that?” he asked. Polling for the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the results will be declared on October 8.
Published – September 23, 2024 06:01 pm IST
