In his fourth visit in two weeks, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal is to arrive here on Wednesday to interact with the people and announce a new ‘guarantee’ or poll promise in poll-bound Gujarat, according to the party.
He will be holding the second Town Hall event here to interact with the people and talk about the various welfare promises the AAP will offer in the run-up to the crucial Assembly poll this December in the home State of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In last three visits, Mr. Kejriwal, who is crisscrossing the State, held town hall events in Rajkot and Jamnagar to interact with traders and businessmen, addressed a rally in Somnath, a tribal rally in central Gujarat and visited several temples as he bids to challenge the ruling BJP in its strongest bastion in the country.
Since March, Mr. Kejriwal has been touring the various districts of Gujarat as the AAP positions itself as the main challenger of the saffron party in the State. He has so far made seven trips to Gujarat after the AAP won a landslide mandate in Punjab, a full-fledged State won by the party for the first time.
“Kejriwalji will be visiting Ahmedabad to announce a new ‘guarantee’ for the people of the State at a town hall event in the city,” the party’s national joint general secretary and Gujarat leader Isudan Gadhvi said at a press conference.
So far, he has promised free electricity of up to 300 units a month, unemployment allowance of ₹3,000 a month to unemployed youth, autonomy to tribals regarding funds and forest lands, incentives for traders and small businessmen and improving the State’s healthcare services and education in the government schools.
According to the party leaders, Mr. Kejriwal on Wednesday would announce a new scheme for women of the State during his interaction.
On Sunday, he announced guarantees for the tribals of Gujarat, which included implementation of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act that gives special powers to gram sabhas (village councils) especially in management of natural resources.
His guarantees or poll promises announced in the State have triggered a national debate with the ruling BJP and Prime Minister himself calling such “freebies” as “revdi [sweets] culture.”
However, Mr. Kejriwal while defending the poll promises asked whether anything was wrong in providing free electricity, better education and healthcare services to the people who pay taxes and the government ran on the money of the taxpayers.
