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Even as it lacks a presence in Chhattisgarh and its INDIA bloc ally, the Congress, is the incumbent party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is pressing on with its attempts to make inroads in Chhattisgarh in the run-up to the forthcoming state Assembly polls.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday held his first public rally in Jagdalpur city in the tribal-dominated Bastar region.
The Congress and the BJP have been the major players in Chhattisgarh since the 1980s, but Kejriwal has been making several attempts to build a base in Chhattisgarh.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, the AAP contested and lost 85 of the total 90 seats but garnered 1.23 lakh votes.
Saturday’s visit to Bastar is Kejriwal’s fourth visit to the state since March this year, accompanied by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
Attacking both the Congress and the BJP, Kejriwal told the rally, “In Delhi and Punjab too, the Congress and the BJP ruled people for decades. Then, we were given an opportunity. Please give us one chance and you will never vote for BJP and Congress for the next 50 years.”
Invoking actor Shah Rukh Khan’s recent mega-hit Jawan, which touches upon corruption, among other things, Kejriwal said, “Have you seen the Jawan movie? Only our party is non-corrupt. We are not here to make money. We will take every single penny from the previous corrupt leaders and return it to you. We have enough money to turn a loss-making government into a profit-making government.”
His also made a promise to the people of the region that he will implement the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act in its “right spirit” and protect the “jal, jungle aur jameen (Water, Forests and Land)” of the tribals.
The AAP supremo said, “76 years have passed since India got freedom but tribals are still backward due to the shoddy treatment given to them by the government. The corrupt politicians and crony industrialists are eyeing your jal, jungle, jameen. They do not want you to get ownership. The PESA Act was made to empower the gram sabha and to protect you. I promise to implement PESA (in its right spirit) within a month of coming to power.”
Citing examples from his “ten guarantees” in Delhi and Punjab, Kejriwal promised the same to the people of Chhattisgarh if voted to power. He has already announced nine of these promises: equality in education by bringing government schools on par with private schools; free health clinics in all villages and free hospitals on the lines of private hospitals; free electricity without power cuts and waiver of pending electricity bills till October this year; free holy trips for senior citizens; employment guarantee and unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000; Rs 1,000 per month to all women; and Rs 1 crores to family of a martyr from police or defense services.
Kejriwal also guaranteed regularisation of contractual employees and teachers —- a promise the Congress made in the state in its 2018 election manifesto. The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government has faced flak from contractual employees who have gone on protest several times on the issue.
In his reaction to Kejriwal’s rally, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) chief and Bastar MP Deepak Baij said the AAP will “neither make much of a difference in Assembly elections nor will it affect their national alliance for the general elections next year”.
Baij, a rising tribal leader from Bastar said, the INDIA alliance is for Lok Sabha elections and not for the Assembly polls.
Asked if the AAP will eat into the Congress votes, Baij said, “Bastar has been a fort of Congress and we cannot be troubled here. It will not be right to comment on whether AAP will eat into Congress or BJP votes.”
