A day after senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia created a flutter in Punjab political scene with his appeal to state electors to vote as if they are voting for party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister, the Delhi Chief Minister on Wednesday dismissed all rumours stating the Chief Minister’s face for the state will be from Punjab itself.
His assertion came amid controversies following hints from close sources that Kejriwal might be the Chief Ministerial candidate from Punjab for the upcoming assembly elections, scheduled for February 4.
Kejriwal, putting to rest all speculations, said that the Chief Minister of Punjab will be from the state if the AAP won the assembly election. “I am the Chief Minister of Delhi. People of Delhi have given me a responsibility and I can't be the Chief Minister of Punjab,” he said during a rally at Patiala.
He added, “The Chief Minister of Punjab can be from no other place but from Punjab.”
He was quick to add, “No matter who becomes the AAP Chief Ministerial candidate, I am making all these promises and it is my responsibility to get them fulfilled.” He said that the people of Punjab can make him “personally accountable” for all the works.
Hitting out at Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, Kejriwal claimed that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president woke up thrice from his sleep last night after having nightmares of him (Kejriwal) being the next chief minister of the state.
Referring to the allegations against a chit fund company, he said that AAP will mortgage the properties of owners and get people’s money refunded.
A day before, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia asked the people of Punjab to “vote as if they were making Kejriwal their Chief Minister”, while assuring the people that Kejriwal would honour all the promises after coming to power.
Sisodia’s remarks were latched on to by SAD and Congress which accused AAP of trying to foist an “outsider” on Punjab.