New Delhi/Gujarat: 21st July
The Aam Aadmi Party launched its widely successful ‘Kejriwal Ki Guarantee’ campaign in Gujarat today. The move can be seen as a serious acceleration of the AAP’s election bid in the state, given how well the party performed using a similar roadmap in Delhi and Punjab. Under the campaign, AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal goes to the ground in poll-bound states to understand problems plaguing the public and then announces his vision to overcome them in the form of guarantees. The party intends to call these announcements ‘guarantees’ in congruence to Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s track record of delivering without fail on each promise made to the public.
In this vein, Shri Arvind Kejriwal visited Surat, AAP’s stronghold in Gujarat, to announce his first guarantee for the state. He announced three path-breaking guarantees relating to the contentious situation of electricity supply in the state. “First, the Aam Aadmi Party will provide 300 units of free electricity per month to each household in Gujarat within 3 months of coming to power. Gujarat has a two month billing system so each household will get 600 units of free electricity. Second, AAP’s Gujarat Government will ensure a 100% no-power cut state and provide 24×7 free electricity supply. Third, the AAP Government will waive off all old domestic bills upto 31st December 2021, to rid the public of erroneous billing made under the current BJP government,” Shri Arvind Kejriwal said.
At the same time, the AAP National Convenor also heavily came down upon the opposition for their baseless accusations and stated, “Giving ‘Free Ki Revri’ to the public does not cause turmoil like the one we are seeing in Sri Lanka but giving ‘Free Ki Revri’ to some friends and ministers does; former is a blessing sent ofGod, latter is an unforgivable sin. Sri Lankan top brass gave ‘Free Ki Revri’ to their friends; if the same was given to the people, they wouldn’t have kicked them out of their own houses. Other parties bring election manifestos and make flowery promises but forget them after elections and do nothing. BJP admitted that promising to give Rs 15 lakhs to every individual was a jumla; we don’t make jumlas in elections. AAP is a party of truthful, noble and honest Deshbhakts; we are making a guarantee to provide free electricity, we will deliver on it.”
AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal began his address by sharing a personal anecdote of interaction with a citizen who was deeply troubled with the sorry state of affairs in Gujarat. He said, “In the past few months, I got to visit Gujarat several times. When I visited Gujarat 10-15 days back, I met a person who was sitting next to me in the aeroplane. When we started interacting, he held my hand tightly and asked me to save Gujarat. I replied that I am a small man. It is not me but you people who have the power to save Gujarat. I asked him to raise voice along with the other people against the atrocities. He said that they are living in a state of immense fear. BJP keeps threatening and troubling them. It is their misfortune that there is no alternative. They don’t have any party to approach and raise their voice against the injustice.”
AAP National Convenor emphasised the need to inject freshness of ideas and work ethics to the rotting governance of the state. He added, “People of Gujarat have given immense love and support since I started visiting Gujarat. I am grateful and indebted for this gesture. Their faith in us has enabled us to contest elections against a government which has been in power for 27 years. This is a long stretch and it has made them arrogant. They have run out of new ideas to serve the people and bring development in the State. Their days in power are over and they have had ample opportunity to work for the welfare of the public. Now, Gujarat wants change. Change is the only constant in life.”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal showed concern on back-breaking inflation in Gujarat and arbitrary hikes in electricity rates. He also underlined the wish of the people of Gujarat to get free electricity like Delhi and Punjab so that they can get some relief. He said, “In the past few months, I got an insight into the issues affecting the common masses during extensive interaction with the people. The biggest issue being faced by the people of Gujarat is inflation. Prices of every commodity are skyrocketing while the earnings remain constant. They are finding it extremely hard to run the house and make the ends meet. And they have been worst hit by the rates of electricity which are at an all-time high. With the ever-increasing hike in the rates, the people of Gujarat approached me and said that they got to know that electricity is being supplied free of cost in Delhi. And now from July 1st, people of Punjab are also getting free electricity despite the fact that we formed the government on March 16th this year and only three months have passed. People of Gujarat want the same.’
AAP National Convenor condemned the malpractice of other parties to make false promises in the elections and emphasised the due importance to be given to the election manifesto like his party does. He asserted, “My first guarantee of the day on the issue of electricity rates and supply. The reason behind this guarantee is that all the other parties make flowery promises in their election manifesto or “Sankalp Patra” but they never walk the talk. The fate of that manifesto is entering the dustbin once the elections are over and the parties do nothing. When they are asked about the promises they made, they said that it was a mere election gimmick or jumla. We won’t make false promises or jumla. We don’t know dirty political tactics. We know who to keep our word and fulfil our promises. There is no difference between our words and actions. We are honest people. AAP is a party of noble people. Hence, we are guaranteeing just like you get a guarantee when you purchase any product from the market. If the product is defective, you get your money back. If we don’t fulfil our promises, please don’t vote for us. We won’t come here next time for election campaigning if we fail to deliver what we’re promising.”
The AAP Convenor made a series of announcements which he labelled as guarantees to provide much needed relief to the people of Gujarat from rising electricity rates. He announces, “Our first guarantee for Gujarat entails three major policies that will change the power supply system in the state forever. Don’t mistake my word for election jingoism. We have done this in Delhi, we are doing this in Punjab and we will do this in Gujarat too. First, the Aam Aadmi Party will provide 300 units of free electricity to each household in Gujarat within 3 months of coming to power. Gujarat has a two month billing system so each household will get 600 units of free electricity. If Delhi and Punjab can get free electricity then there possibly isn’t anything that should prevent it from happening in Gujarat. Second, AAP’s Gujarat Government will ensure a 100% no-power cut state and provide 24×7 free electricity supply. Currently, Gujarat is a 100% power cut state. Urban and rural areas get power cuts alike. We will change this. This is happening for the first time in Indian history. Free electricity is a magic that only I know. No other leader, no other party can make it happen. Third, the AAP Government will waive off all old domestic bills upto 31st December 2021, to rid the public of erroneous billing made under the current BJP government. People have got huge bills for using just a light and fan. When they go to get the errors fixed, the babus ask for huge bribes. Instead of fixing every bill by hand, it is easier to waive all the old ones off. This won’t be any burden on the government. 70%-80% such bills are bogus. This will bring huge relief to the public.”
He continued, “I will keep coming to Gujarat to announce my guarantees. We will all work together to rid Gujarat of its woes. I am certain that not only will we come to power but just like Delhi and Punjab we will come in with a landslide victory.”
