AAP has come forward as a fresh alternative for Goans frustrated with politics of the Congress and the BJP
Mumbai: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday clarified that AAP would only think of a post-poll alliance with a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the event of a fractured mandate in the ensuing Goa assembly polls. The AAP National Convener exuded confidence that such a need would not arise and said that his party had come forward as “a fresh hope” for Goan’s tired of the politics of the older parties in the coastal State.
The AAP National Convener further clarified that the AAP will not be aligning with the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the upcoming Goa Assembly election of February 14.
Kejriwal who was in Panaji today, unveiled the AAP’s 13-point ‘vision document’ that promises free electricity, quality education, equality of job opportunity, unemployment allowance, ease of business and an assurance of “honest governance”.
Speaking to newspersons here, the Delhi Chief Minister remarked, “In the event of a fractured mandate, only then will we think of alliance with a non-BJP party. However, while we respect the public’s verdict, I hope this need (fractured mandate) does not arise and will not be necessary after the results…the AAP does not understand this politics of ‘make or break’. We only understand how to develop Goa…we leave petty politics to other parties.”
Arguing that Goan’s never had a political alternative until now, the AAP National Convenor remarked that the AAP had come forward as a fresh hope in Goan politics.
“Till now, it was either the Congress or the BJP. Now, the BJP and the Congress have become one party (alluding to the defection of 10 Congress MLAs into the BJP in 2019). The BJP and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) ruled Goa for 15 years each, and the Congress for 25 years. In all this while, what have these parties done for Goa,” asked Kejriwal.
He further added that all these parties were responsible for the plight of Goan youth today, coupled with rising unemployment and corruption. Kejriwal wanted to know as to why anyone among the Goan public would vote for the Congress, given that elected Congress legislators more often than not switched over to the BJP.
Replying to question of whether Utpal Parrikar, son of BJPs late chief minister Manohar Parrikar, would be welcomed into the AAP fold, Kejriwal said that he had great respect for the late chief minister Manohar Parrikar and that Utpal was “welcome to join the AAP” if he so wished. In recent times Utpal Parrikar has been unhappy with the current BJP leadership over party ticket distribution.
Asserting that honesty was in the AAP’s DNA, the Delhi Chief Minister sarcastically remarked that none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the AAP its “certificate of honesty”.
Kejriwal further remarked, “None other than Prime Minister Modi has given the AAP a ‘certificate of honesty’. The PM authorised raids (through investigating agencies like CBI) on myself and (Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia…21 AAP MLAs were arrested. A commission was set up to examine 400 files of our government. But not a single mistake was found.” The AAP leader further claimed that the AAP was the “most honest party in India since 1947.”
He argued that the party’s 13-point agenda had been prepared through dialogue and discussion with the Goan public for the last one-and-a-half years. Kejriwal alleged that under the current BJP government, there was no scope for equality of opportunity for anyone.
Kejriwal announced that if the AAP was voted to power every family in Goa would get a “direct benefit of Rs. 10 lakhs” for the next five years.
The AAP National Convenor further added, “The AAP promises free electricity. If, on an average, every family gets a monthly electricity bill of Rs. 500 a month. This will translate into a saving of Rs. 6,000 annually. Likewise, an unemployment allowance of Rs. 3,000 per month will amount to a saving of Rs. 36,000 per year. We have promised an allowance of Rs. 1,000 per woman in every household, which translates into Rs. 24,000 if there are two women on an average in each household. We have calculated that the average health and education expenses of children respectively for a family comes to Rs. 50,000 and 72,000. All this adds up to a saving of Rs. 2 lakh a year for a family and Rs. 10 lakh for five years of the AAP’s tenure if we come to power.”
Accusing the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant-led BJP government of what he called as rampant ‘sale’ in jobs, the AAP leader alleged that prize jobs were only being awarded in some constituencies.
Kejriwal remarked that, “The BJP has been boasting about the proposed Zuari bridge (linking North and South Goa), but let me tell you that in Delhi, the AAP government has made many flyovers in half the cost and time.”
