AAP turns focus to businessmen in Gujarat, third town hall by Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday

At Rajkot on July 26, the first of these meetings, Kejriwal gave five ‘guarantees’ to the business community if voted to power in Gujarat: ending “an atmosphere of fear”, ensuring respect for them, weeding out corruption by way of doorstep delivery of government services, clearing pending VAT rebate pleas within six months, and simplifying GST. The Delhi CM also promised to make businessmen “partners in government” by forming a consultative committee comprising representatives from all business sectors.

At his second town hall, in Jamnagar on August 5, he repeated the guarantees, while promising to end “raid raaj”.

AAP claims that the “success” of its town halls is proof of the hollowness of the state BJP government’s claim that businesses are flourishing in Gujarat. “Businessmen don’t speak openly in public. But in private, they have numerous complaints about the GST regime and corruption,” Shivlal Barasiya, AAP Gujarat trade wing president, said.

Not just MSMEs, but business houses with a “turnover of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 500 crore” attended their meetings, Barasiya added. “Our political rivals and critics might accuse AAP of trying to woo the poor with promises of freebies, but such conclusions are erroneous. The turnout of businessmen and industrialists at the town halls proves that it is not only the poor who are facing hardships due to the policies of the present government but also the business fraternity that is in duress,” Barasiya, who played a key role in organising the Saurashtra town halls, said.

“AAP’s objective is to raise the voice of every segment of society and therefore our agenda and focus area will keep changing every two weeks. In Rajkot and Jamnagar, it was about businessmen. In Chhota Udepur yesterday (Sunday), it was about tribals. Next, it could be farmers,” Barasiya added.

Claiming that it is “setting the agenda of political discourse” in Gujarat, and that the BJP had been “forced to respond”, AAP is also taking the BJP head on over the “freebie culture” charge.

Kejriwal’s Veraval rally included a skit where an AAP worker dressed like a train staffer and calling himself Kejriwal hawked “revdis”, which stood in for “free electricity, healthcare, bus rides for women and pilgrimage for senior citizens, and jobs”.

The party has also taken on the BJP government over its own “freebies”, the latest being its announcement on August 3 of nearly 50% subsidy on double-filtered groundnut oil for Janmashtami and Diwali festivals, for those covered by the National Food Security Act. The move, costing the government Rs 124 crore, is expected to cover nearly half the Gujarat population of 6.5 crore.

AAP national joint secretary Isudan Gadhvi said, “The state government has a debt of Rs 3.2 lakh crore, which means every child in Gujarat is born with a loan of Rs 53,000 on him or her. The BJP in its feeble attempt to copy AAP is trying to dig its own grave… The main question is whether groundnut farmers are getting their dues.”

Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts and groundnut oil in the country. This year, groundnut oil prices have soared up to record Rs 2,650 per 15 kg on the back of a rise in commodity prices globally. Farmers too have benefited from this. But with the groundnut marketing season which begins in October and runs through May, long over, the government’s decision to give groundnut oil at subsidised rates now will benefit consumers rather than groundnut growers directly.

Gujarat BJP media convener Yagnesh Dave argued that it was wrong to call the groundnut oil promise a “revdi”. “Under the Representation of the People Act, to offer allurement to people to get votes during election is against the Constitution. The BJP has achieved power, formed the government and, after that, it is offering (things or services) free… You form the government on your merit and then give (things for free), who is stopping you from doing that?”

Speaking about the government’s free Covid vaccine programme, Dave added: “It is fine if you give people their rights after forming the government. But to get power, if you use revdi, then it is against the Representation of the People Act.”