Free electricity, ration: Congress won Karnataka polls on AAP’s manifesto, says Kejriwal

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 22, 2023: Lauding Aam Aadmi Party’s manifesto, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Congress took cue from his party and included promises of free electricity, free ration, and unemployment allowance in its election manifesto for the Karnataka assembly elections. Arvind Kejriwal made these remarks while addressing AAP leaders who emerged victorious in the recently concluded local body elections in Uttar Pradesh.

 

He further mentioned that the AAP has been successful in changing the country’s political discourse, as other parties are now also focusing on issues such as education and health for votes.

The Congress promised 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kilograms of rice free to every member of a below poverty line (BPL) household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders aged 18-25 for two years (YuvaNidhi) and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti) in Karnataka. The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Saturday cleared the Congress party’s five electoral promises in the first Cabinet meeting.

"The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has tried to change the narrative of the country’s politics. If you look at Karnataka polls, the Congress party has won on our manifesto," Kejriwal said.

"We said we will provide free electricity, they (Congress) also said so. We said we will provide unemployment allowance, free ration, and Rs 1,000 (per month for women. They also said so," he said.

The AAP chief said earlier political parties used to ask votes on the basis of caste and religion. Now, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also making such promises, he added.

Arvind Kejriwal lauded his party workers for bagging seats in Uttar Pradesh urban local body polls which were held in two phases- May 4 and May 11. The AAP won three Nagar Palika chairperson seats, six Nagar Panchayat chairperson seats and six Nagar Nigam councillor seats besides several wards in the recently-concluded local elections.

More than half of the AAP’s victorious candidates belonged to the minority community, according to the poll results available on the state election commission’s website.

Kejriwal congratulated the AAP’s Uttar Pradesh unit leaders, saying it was a "difficult" election as the state is considered a BJP stronghold. "You worked hard and defeated the BJP, the SP and other parties."

The AAP leaders’ victory in several seats in the local body elections is an indication that people of Uttar Pradesh "are ready for change". They want good governance and development in the state," he added.

He said the AAP will now focus on expanding its foothold in Uttar Pradesh and contest the next assembly polls with full strength.

"We will build our organisation with the help of Sandeep Pathak (AAP national organisation secretary). We will form active committees of 10 members in every village and booth. Once our organisation is built in Uttar Pradesh, no one can stop us," he said.

Kejriwal asked the elected representatives to work for the people in various sectors like health and education so that the AAP is strengthened in the state.

"All of you have got more responsibility nowâ€æ If you do good work in Uttar Pradesh, that fragrance will spread across the state. We will get an entry in Uttar Pradesh through you," he added.

Courtesy: India Today