Don’t look at the nominees, I’m fighting on all 70 seats, Kejriwal tells AAP workers

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged party workers to set aside their differences and work together to win the Delhi Assembly poll scheduled for February next year even if they differ on the choice of candidates.

“You don’t need to look at an MLA or a candidate. You look at me. On all 70 seats, Kejriwal will fight the election,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said, addressing AAP workers at a party meeting.

Mr. Kejriwal also termed the election as the “second struggle for Independence”, for which he said the party workers will have to give all their time and work like “true patriots”.

“If Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar, and Gandhiji had worked part-time, then our country would not have become independent. I’m proud that in this second fight for Independence, our people went to jail and came out,” he said, referring to the arrest of several AAP leaders in various corruption cases and their subsequent release on bail.

‘Can’t afford infighting’

Cautioning against infighting, Mr. Kejriwal said it may result in the BJP coming to power. “The enemy is very strong. We have to be together like a fist. If we stay so, no power can defeat us,” he said, slamming the BJP for “hatching a conspiracy” to stall the AAP government’s welfare programmes.

Mr. Kejriwal said he was not worried about retaining power but wondered what the BJP would do if the ruling party in Delhi faced defeat. “If AAP loses power, electricity rates will increase again, water bills will go up, and there will be eight-hour-long power cuts,” he said.

In response, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that “AAP’s fate is sealed now”. “People have made up their mind to reject the corrupt government. AAP will be wiped out from Delhi,” the BJP leader said.

Published - October 20, 2024 12:56 am IST