At Ramlila Maidan, AAP national convenor says BJP more corrupt than Congress

Making an appeal to voters in Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked people in that State to vote for any party other than the ruling-BJP.

While the AAP is expected to contest some constituencies in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly next month, Mr. Kejriwal’s appeal for votes for any party other than the BJP could be seen as an appeal for opposition unity. The Congress is the principal opposition in the State.

Speaking at the party’s national convention at Ramlila Maidan here on its fifth anniversary, Mr. Kejriwal said: “If the AAP is winning, then vote for the AAP candidate. If somewhere else another party is winning, vote for them. Defeating BJP is our goal.”

‘Judges not safe’

Later, Mr. Kejriwal also tweeted that he appealed to the people in Gujarat to not let their votes get divided. Meanwhile, earlier in his speech, he said that the BJP had turned out to be more corrupt than the Congress, against which the anti-corruption movement that led to the formation of AAP was started.

“Even judges are not safe in their rule. A few days ago we learned that Judge Loya who was hearing the Amit Shah case was found dead under mysterious circumstances... The whole country is fed up. GST and demonetisation broke their backs... Everyone is looking towards Gujarat and praying that the BJP loses,” he said.

Hitting out at the BJP, Mr. Kejriwal said the party had worked to create divisions in the country after coming to power in 2014.

National-level event

“Pakistan’s biggest dream would be to divide India along the lines of Hindus and Muslims. If that is done, then India will become weak and it will become easy for Pakistan to capture India... What the ISI could not do in 70 years, the BJP has done in three years,” said Mr. Kejriwal.

Earlier in the convention, which was the first such national-level event for the party, leaders from different States spoke about their experiences. AAP MP from Punjab Bhagwant Mann spoke about his experience in Parliament, while Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia detailed the work being done by the AAP government in the Capital.

Delhi Minister and AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said that it had taken the Congress 20 years after its formation to make a mark, while the BJP was able to secure only two seats in its first national elections. The AAP had managed to form a government in one State, be the principal opposition in another and win four Lok Sabha seats in its first five years.