NEW DELHI: AAP already seems to be in the election mode. In a rally at Adarsh Nagar Metro station on Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal not only asked e-rickshaw owners — the party's crucial vote bank — not to be charmed by BJP but also apologized to them for quitting the chief minister's post in just 49 days.

"I know we shouldn't have resigned and I apologize for it. But this time, I promise I will not resign," said the leader during his 25-minute speech.

Cautioning the e-rickshaw owners about the true nature of BJP, he said, "It is the same BJP which confiscated your rickshaws and challaned you. Don't forget that Congress declared your existence illegal and within four days of Narendra Modi taking oath as Prime Minister, municipal corporations and traffic police started issuing challans of Rs 4,200. Now, the same BJP is taking political mileage with Nitin Gadkari declaring that e-rickshaws are legal. It was because of AAP that the matter went to the lieutenant governor and then to the Centre."

Citing a high court judgment from March, he said, "your existence isn't illegal and in fact, the court has appreciated e-rickshaws, which Congress and BJP were looking for ways to do away with."

From electricity to gas prices and the recent hike in railways fare, he left no chance to hit out at BJP. "Railway fares were hiked recently and now there are speculations that electricity, gas and diesel prices will go up. What is the difference between Congress and BJP? That there is so much corruption in all these departments is no secret. Why isn't BJP talking about bringing down corruption?"

Kejriwal also rubbished reports of AAP MLAs lending support to BJP to form government. "I challenge BJP to take away even one of the 27 MLAs." As the crowd cheered, Kejriwal also pointed out that the MLA fund amounting to Rs 4 crore will be spent only after discussions with the public. "Contractors will not be paid till the public says their work is satisfactory," he said.

