NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a door-to-door fundraising campaign from his constituency, New Delhi.
“I want the people not to treat the Lok Sabha polls as the election of the Prime Minister. Give the AAP all seven seats in Delhi and I assure you of getting work done from whoever the prime minister is after 2019,” Kejriwal said and added that the people were happy with his government’s works in the education and health sectors.
As part of the campaign, 3,000 teams of AAP volunteers will cover every voter in the national capital over the next four months. The volunteers will highlight AAP’s achievements, especially in the education and health sectors, while seeking donations to fund the party’s election campaign.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Kejriwal said if he takes money from the Adanis or Ambanis, he would be forced to work for them after the elections. “If I take donations from the public, I will work according to their wishes. We had a chance to make hundreds of crores (of rupee) in three years. But had we done that, schools, hospitals, electricity and water problems would not have been solved,” he said.
Taking on the BJP MPs of Delhi, Kejriwal said, “All they (BJP MPs) did was to stall our welfare projects like mohalla clinics and the CCTV project through the Lieutenant Governor.”
The CM sought the blessings of a Jain guru and addressed a gathering at a Jain Mandir in Gole Market area of New Delhi before embarking on his door-to-door campaign. “In 2015, I was here before the polls and we won with an overwhelming majority. I am here today as well and hope for a similar result,” he said, addressing a gathering there.
Smiling faces and excited children waited at the gates of houses to welcome Kejriwal. “This is the first time a CM has come to people’s houses like a common man to make us understand the good work he has done. There is an evident improvement in the education and health sectors. Earlier, we were afraid to go to government hospitals, now we are afraid to go to private hospitals,” Heeralal Jain, 47, said.
“We are delighted that Kejriwal started his campaign from our house,” said Sunil Jain.
Similar drives were held in various localities by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and two other ministers.