Sisodia’s U-turn day after, says was misinterpreted

Tribune Reporters

Hoshiarpur, January 11

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today retracted from his yesterday’s statement that had led to speculation about party convener Arvind Kejriwal being AAP’s chief ministerial face for Punjab elections.

Speaking to the media here, Sisodia said his statement was misinterpreted. “There is no question of declaring the CM candidate right now. Punjab people should vote for the sake of Arvind Kejriwal. The CM will be decided afterwards,” he said. Sisodia had yesterday reportedly urged people in Mohali and Anandpur Sahib to cast their ballot for AAP “as if they are voting for Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister”, triggering a Punjabi versus “outsider” debate.

The SAD and the Congress had claimed there was a “conspiracy to anoint Kejriwal as Punjab CM through the back door”.

On a shoe being hurled at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sisodia said, “Punjabis are civilised and decent. They should avoid such actions and reply only by voting against the Badals on February 4.”

Asked why Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh was fielded against Badal from Lambi, he said, “No one could gather the courage to take on Badal and Jarnail was willing to contest, so he was given the ticket… Badals have grabbed transport, hotel, sand-gravel and many other businesses. They have made Punjab their private estate, something that needs to be ended.”

Promises trader as FM

In Batala, Sisodia said the state would have a trader as its Finance Minister. He was addressing a gathering of businessmen in Batala, an industrial hub of the state. He was here to campaign for state party chief Gurpreet Singh Waraich, who is the party candidate from the constituency.