If BJP succeeds in forming a govt, it will be due to Congress: Kejriwal

As Goa goes into the February 14, 2022, Assembly elections, chances are that if BJP is successful in their designs of winning, then AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal thinks it would be because of the Congress. Kejriwal made this charge while speaking to Herald TV’s Goa Wants to Know programme. He spoke along with AAP’s CM candidate Amit Palekar.

“The BJP has sent all it’s people to the Congress, who will contest on Congress ticket and will rejoin BJP after elections. BJP has outsourced their govt formation to the Congress in many States. All have this fear in Goa too,” Kejriwal said

 Asked about alliances, Kejriwal shot back: “With whom to form an alliance? Whatever is the situation, we will act on that. Congress ruled Goa for 25 years and if you give them another five years, they will loot again. BJP ruled Goa for 15 years but did do nothing besides looting. Give AAP one chance with full majority,” Kejriwal appealed.

But where does AAP’s optimism come from? 

“The C-voter survey says BJP will get 29% of the votes, AAP will get 27 % and 18 to 19% would go to the Congress. So there is no point voting for Congress, you will be wasting your vote. AAP is just 2% behind BJP and if people give a big push AAP can go 7% higher and people can have an honest govt with a complete majority,” the Delhi CM said.

The silent voter

“This is a different election, it is one of hope. All the parties have corruption charges, there are corruption charges on leaders who looted in previous years. First time one party says it can give an honest government. This has been done in Delhi. AAP represents hope. The vote based on hope will be silent,” Kejriwal said.

Why has AAP declared a CM candidate on the basis of caste?

Arvind Kejriwal said, “We tried to remove an existing bias against Bhandari Samaj, due to which there was injustice in the hearts of the Samaj. 35% of the people are from Bhandari Samaj, not even once there was Bhandari Samaj. Only Ravi Naik was a CM from Bhandari Samaj for two and half years. Why was there no Bhandari CM? Why did BJP not allow Shripad Naik to be CM? Why did they deny a ticket to his son? Kejriwal questioned. “We wanted to remove the sense of injustice from a large section of society in fielding the CM candidate,” Kejriwal asserted.

Does giving freebies make voters too dependent on the system?

 “Not at all,” Kejriwal shot back. “We have made good schools in Delhi where children of the poor go, and they get a good education. We have made the Delhi hospitals very beautiful where poor get their tests, medicines, and operations done free.”

Kejriwal narrated that Amit Shah was saying Kejriwal is promising free electricity in Goa. “He has a government accommodation in New Delhi and gets 4000 units free. But when people get 300 units of electricity, he asks why is Kejriwal giving free electricity? He has no issues if he gets free electricity from people’s money, but he has an issue if people get free electricity from their own money,” he pointed out.

“What is his problem? We are giving people’s money to them. They take the money to Swiss Banks . We will stop this money from going to Swiss Banks and channel it towards the people.

Will AAP play larger role in national politics?

Arvind Kejriwal denied that he had national political ambitions. “My only national ambition is to improve the country. We want to finish corruption. We want to give quality education and give good health facilities to people.”  

Taking a pot shot at Goa CM Pramod Sawant Kejriwal said if he had to run a good government without corruption, from whom would I ask votes? In Delhi if some other party comes, people will say Kejriwal is good, we don’t need you. We want that political parties improve and stop looting. Or else people will vote for us,” Kejriwal concluded.