Rajkot: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised Rs 40 per day for the upkeep of every cow in Gujarat and a shelter home for non-milching cattle in every district of the state if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power.
Kejriwal’s announcement made at a press conference here is a renewed push to counter the ruling BJP in Gujarat and attract Hindu voters, as per political experts.
The AAP national convener also claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress have united to “cut into the AAP votes” as according to an “IB report”, his party will form the next government in the state.
In a public rally in Surendranagar town held later in the day, he urged the people of Gujarat to support the AAP and help it win 150 out of the total 182 seats in the state Assembly elections to be held by the end of this year.
“In Delhi, we give Rs 40 per cow per day. The Delhi government gives Rs 20 and another Rs 20 is given by the municipal corporation. If the AAP is voted to power in Gujarat, then we will provide Rs 40 per cow per day for their upkeep,” Kejriwal said at the press conference in Rajkot.
Panjrapole (shelters homes for cattle) will be constructed in every district for non-milching cows and those roaming on roads, he said and also assured that the AAP government will take all necessary steps for the benefit of cows in the state.
His announcement came at a time when panjrapole owners have been protesting against the Gujarat government over its alleged failure to release a package as promised for the shelter homes.
Asked about an auto-rickshaw driver in Ahmedabad, at whose house Kejriwal had dinner, supporting the BJP, he said he does not discriminate against people on the basis of which party they support.
He claimed that the BJP and the Congress have come together in Gujarat in their bid to defeat AAP, and that the Congress has been given a task to “eat into the AAP’s votes”.
Kejriwal claimed a source told him about an “IB report” as per which, if the Gujarat Assembly elections are held today, the AAP will form government in the state, but by a thin margin.
“Ever since the report has come, both these parties have united. They are conducting secret meetings, and the BJP has freaked out. Both the parties are using the same language to abuse the AAP,” he claimed.
He further said the BJP was trying to “strengthen the Congress to divide the anti-BJP vote”.
“The Congress has been given the responsibility to break AAP votes. Some Congress leaders wanted to join the BJP, but the BJP asked them to stay in the Congress so as not to weaken it further,” he claimed.
Kejriwal also claimed the Congress will not win more than 10 seats in the 182-member Assembly, and they (winning Congress leaders) will also join the BJP.
“It is futile to vote for the Congress and not in the interest of Gujarat. All those who are upset with the BJP should vote for the AAP. I appeal to the people to push hard to break the Delhi and Punjab record (of AAP’s victory in those states),” he said.
“BJP buys as many Congress MLAs as it needs and keeps others in stock. As we can see all over the country, they have made a joint strategy to defeat AAP,” the Delhi CM claimed.
At the rally in Surendranagar city, Kejriwal urged the people to vote for his party and help it win 150 out of the total 182 seats to bring in a “big change”.
“Only 50 days are left. Push hard so that we get at least 150 seats. We need a big change, 90-95 seats will not do. People of Delhi gave us 67 seats out of 70, people of Punjab gave us 92 out of 117 seats. Will not the people of Gujarat defeat both Punjab and Delhi, break their record?” he said.
“We will have to work hard. We don’t have money, we are honest people. My bank account is empty, and so is Bhagwant Mann’s. The bank account of our party is also empty. They got us searched. They conducted raids on me, Bhagwant Mann and everyone, but found nothing,” the AAP leader added.
A storm of change is coming, and the entire Gujarat is craving for a change, he added.
Kejriwal said if the AAP is voted to power in Gujarat, it would first end corruption.
“They looted the state for 27 years. Every leader has built several houses, bought properties, and deposited so much money in the Swiss banks that their seven generations don’t need to do anything,” he said, attacking the BJP.
Addressing a gathering along with Mann at Khedbrahma town in Sabarkantha district later, Kejriwal said if voted to power, the AAP will implement a system where a government official will deliver services at people’s doorstep.
He promised to stop “liquor and other illegal businesses” that have been operating in Gujarat.
“All their illegal businesses will be stopped. They never built roads, never gave benefits to the public, they only showed all this on paper and committed corruption. We will spend every paisa on the public, and it will not go to anyone’s pocket,” he said.
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