AAP to announce candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, 1 in Chandigarh within fortnight: Kejriwal

PTI

Khanna (Punjab), February 10

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his party will announce candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and the lone Chandigarh parliamentary seat as he sought people’s blessings for the victory of his candidates.

Kejriwal made the announcement while addressing a gathering organised for the ‘Ghar ghar muft ration’ (doorstep delivery of ration) scheme by the Punjab Government.

“Two years back, you gave your blessings. Out of 117 seats, you gave us 92 seats. You created history in Punjab.

“Today I again seek your blessing with folded hands. There will be Lok Sabha elections after two months. In Punjab, there are 13 (Lok Sabha) seats, one is Chandigarh and there will be 14 seats,” he said.

“In the coming 10-15 days, the AAP will announce its candidates on all these 14 seats. I request you the way you blessed us two years back, get the party to win all these 14 seats,” said Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

With this announcement, it has now become clear that there will not be any alliance between the AAP and the Congress, which are part of the INDIA bloc, for contesting the lone Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.

For the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the AAP and the Congress fought the election in an alliance.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already made it clear that the AAP will not enter into an alliance with the Congress for fighting the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab.

During his address, the Delhi chief minister also praised the Bhagwant Mann government, saying it did a “lot of work” in the past two years.

“In 75 years, the Congress has ruled for so many years. Tell me one good work the Congress has done. (You) will not remember. If I ask you, Akali Dal ruled for so many years, tell me one good work the Akali Dal has done. (You) will not remember,” said Kejriwal as he attacked the rival parties.

“It is just two years since Mann became the CM and tell one work he has done. Everybody will say electricity has been made free. There is a 24-hour electricity supply,” he said.

“How the money came? Everybody’s electricity has been made free. It is an honest government and does not indulge in corruption,” he asserted, adding that each single penny is being spent on the welfare of people.

After launching the ‘Ghar ghar muft ration’ scheme, Kejriwal said people will now not have to visit ration (fair price) shops every month for ration.

Under this scheme, beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act will get wheat or ‘atta’ (wheat flour) in bags at their doorsteps.

Kejriwal said despite many parties having formed government at the Centre, the theft of ration meant for the poor could not stop in the past 75 years.

“If 100 kg ration is sent, then only 10-15 kg reaches the poor,” said Kejriwal, alleging that the rest of the ration was misappropriated by ‘dalaals’, politicians and officers.

“It was not like that the theft could not be stopped. It was possible but their intentions were bad. It was the leaders and parties which were involved in stealing it,” he alleged.

They used to fight elections by stealing the ration of the poor, he further alleged while attacking the rival parties.

“We are not going to steal the ration of the poor. We came to serve you,” he said.

“The ‘Ghar ghar muft ration’ scheme which is starting (from Punjab) is not a small thing. It is the beginning of stopping the lakhs and crores worth of black business from the theft of ration in the country,” he said.

He also spoke about the manner in which the poor face hardships while standing in queues for getting the ration at fair price shops.

He said with the launch of this scheme, the beneficiaries need not visit fair price shops and they will get their ration at their doorsteps.

“The wheat flour which I take and Mann saab takes, the same (quality of) ‘atta’ will be delivered to you at your doorsteps,” he said.

He said before coming to politics, he used to work in ‘jhuggis’ in Delhi where he found that people were not getting ration as it was being stolen.

“We have been fighting for the same since then,” he said.

The AAP leader said after his party formed the government in Delhi, he tried to implement the same scheme in the national capital.

When it was about to be implemented, the BJP government stopped its implementation, he alleged.

“I wanted to stop theft of ration and get the poor their rights,” he said.

“But one day, the Almighty came into my dream and told me not to worry.  This ration scheme will be implemented somewhere (else). Now you see, the God formed the AAP government in Punjab and today this scheme is starting in Punjab, he stated.

This scheme will not remain limited to Punjab only, he said, adding that one day will come in 5-10 years, this scheme will be implemented throughout the country. 

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