Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised that his party will provide free electricity up to 300 units per month if voted to power in Gujarat where the Assembly polls are slated to be held later this year.
He also said that power dues upto December 2021 will be waived off if AAP is voted to power in the State where the BJP has been in power since 1998. The free electricity scheme will be implemented in Gujarat within three months after the assembly elections, he promised.
Addressing a gathering at a town hall meeting in Surat, Mr. Kejriwal also guaranteed uninterrupted power supply 24/7 without any load shedding or cut in supply.
“I am giving you a guarantee. If you find any fault later, you are free not to vote for AAP in the next election. We will fulfil all the guarantees once we come to power in the State,” he said, adding the AAP’s track record of keeping its electoral promises is very high as can be seen in Delhi and Punjab where it recently won the polls in March this year.
Mr. Kejriwal, who frequents the State in a bid to gain political entry in the BJP’s bastion and native State of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his speech slammed Mr. Modi and BJP for calling free electricity scheme a “freebie”. What is doled out to a few and select corporate friends is a “freebie”, while what’s given to people is called welfare, he said.
He also wondered why the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh has announced free power to the people if it was against the idea.
Mr. Kejriwal arrived here late Wednesday night on his second visit to the State this month.
He had said that in the next few weeks, the AAP would share with the people of Gujarat its agenda, it’s schemes and on what it plans to do for them if voted to power in the State.
According to him, the people of Gujarat were fed up with 27 years of the BJP rule and want a change while accusing the BJP government of creating a “atmosphere of fear” in the state.
On prohibition in Gujarat, Mr. Kejriwal said that it was only on paper as illegal liquor bootlegging is thriving under the BJP rule. “We will continue the prohibition in the state and also ensure that liquor bootlegging is stopped,” he said.
Presenting the “Delhi model,” he had said free electricity is possible in Gujarat if corruption is eliminated.
