AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said an alliance with the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a platform for the farmers' organizations for the February 14 polls did not happen because of differences over seat-sharing.
He, however, admitted that his party could lose some votes due to the decision of the SSM to contest the Punjab Assembly polls.
“Rajewal saheb came to me at my house and a discussion took place. The day he came, we had already announced 90 tickets and he said he wanted 60 tickets,” Kejriwal said. The AAP leader said he told Rajewal that just 27 party tickets were now left to be distributed and the SSM could take 10-15 out of them.
“I completely agree that if the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha fights separately some AAP votes could definitely be lost,” he said. Addressing a news conference in Mohali, the Aam Aadmi Party chief rejected the charge that his party is taking money for allotting tickets to assembly aspirants, rubbishing an audio tape in which the allegation was recently made. "If anybody proves that somebody sold tickets and somebody else bought them, I will throw them out of the party within 24 hours,” he said.
“I can tolerate anything, but not corruption,” he said, adding that he would ensure that anybody who does this would end up behind bars.” He said he would also make sure that anybody leveling false allegations goes to jail.
Kejriwal said Rajewal had given him the audio clip that mentioned AAP leaders. It had two people saying that Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia accept money to get the work done, and Raghav Chadha goes to a five star hotel every day, according to the AAP chief. “Such rubbish was being discussed in the clip. It was not proof,” he said.
Kejriwal said he asked Rajewal to make the audio tape public if there was any proof. He said his party had nothing to do with the recently surfaced pamphlet in Patiala that asked people to take money from any party but vote for the AAP. “These pamphlets are being distributed by the people of Punjab and it is the voice of the people. We have not distributed any such pamphlet.” Kejriwal also targeted the Shiromani Akali Dal leader. “Does Sukhbir Badal think he can buy votes of the people of Punjab? A Punjabi will die but will never sell his vote.” He claimed that everywhere in Punjab he hears that people will accept money from the Akalis but will vote for the AAP.
He also took on the Charanjit Singh Channi government in Punjab over the alleged “deterioration” in law and order, and referred to the recent Ludhiana bomb blast, the alleged sacrilege incidents and the PM security breach. “There is fear in the mind of the common man and he does not feel safe,” he said.
KEJRIWAL IN CAMPAIGN MODE
Later, Kejriwal kicked off AAP’s door-to-door campaigning for the Punjab Assembly elections. Following the COVID guidelines of the Election Commission, Kejriwal, along with the party's Punjab Convenor Bhagwant Mann and AAP Candidate from Kharar Anmol Gagan Mann, met people door-to-door, listened to their problems, and informed them of the party's plans for Punjab.
During the campaign, Kejriwal himself distributed pamphlets about the party's plans and promises to the people, urging them to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party in order to restore Punjab's peace and prosperity, as well as to establish harmony and brotherhood in the state. He urged Kharar residents to vote for AAP candidate Anmol Gagan Mann, saying that door-to-door campaigning is one of the party's strongest points.
KEJRIWAL A POLITICAL TOURIST, HIS PUNJAB MODEL A COPYCAT ONE, SAYS SIDHU
Soon after Kejriwal unveiled his party's ''Punjab Model'' of governance after the Feb 14 polls, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu attacked him dubbing him a ''political tourist'' and his model a “Copy-Cat Model''.
''Political Tourist @Arvind Kejriwal who was absent in Punjab for the last 4.5 years claims to have a Punjab Model. AAP's campaign & agenda is a joke on the people of Punjab. A list of 10 pointers written by people sitting in Delhi with zero knowledge of Punjab can never be Punjab Model!,” Sidhu tweeted. Besides dubbing Kejriwal's post-poll governance template for Punjab as a ''Copy-Cat Model'', Sidhu went on to describe it also as “I am very insecure Model”, “Liquor Mafia Model”, “Ticket for Money Model”, “I am very sorry Majithia Ji: the Cowardice Model”, “Writing free cheques model”, “Electricity to Ambani's Model” and “450 jobs in five years Model”.
Sidhu, who had earlier shared his roadmap for ruling the state after polls, said the resurrection of Punjab is a serious issue as the lives of three crores Punjabis depend on it. ''People of Punjab will not fall for these hollow and non-serious agendas. A Genuine Roadmap which will bring back People's resources from “Mafia Pockets” to “People of Punjab” is required,'' said Sidhu in his tweet.
A day earlier, Sidhu had promised setting up of a state-owned liquor corporation for mobilising about Rs 25,000 crore of revenue if his party returns to power after the assembly polls. He had also promised to set up a state-run corporation for sand mining and a regulatory commission for the cable sector. Elaborating his plans to set up the state's liquor corporation, if the Congress returns to power in Punjab, Sidhu said it will regulate the liquor industry in Punjab.
AAP INSULTING PUNJABIS BY ASSERTING THEY WERE NOT FIT TO GOVERN, SAYS SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was insulting Punjabis by asserting that they were not fit to govern themselves and wanted to foster outsiders on them which would never be tolerated.
Addressing a press conference here after the conclusion of the meeting of the party’s core committee, the senior leadership announced that AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal was releasing anthems and even paid news to insult and demean Punjabis as well as project himself as the savior of Punjab. “Even party tickets are being sold with a breakaway faction of AAP giving proof of sale of 35 party tickets”. The leaders said “Punjabis are a proud community they will never stomach the imposition of outsiders like Raghav Chadha in the same manner in which they rejected the duo of Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh in 2017”.
The senior leaders including Prem Singh Chandumarja, Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema said earlier also Kejriwal had insulted Punjabi leaders including Suchha Singh Chhotepur, H S Phoolka and Sukhpal Khaira. “Now since the last six months he is making Bhagwant Mann beg to be anointed the chief ministerial face of the party”.
The leaders said Kejriwal had also insulted Kisan organizations as well as their leader – Balbir Singh Rajewal. “AAP first started negotiations with the Kisan organizations and even indicated it was amenable to Balbir Singh Rajewal being projected as its chief ministerial face.
However, lately Kejriwal has insulted even Rajewal by stating that he had got two surveys done which had made it clear that Rajewal as well as the Kisan organizations would draw a blank”.