Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal filed his nomination papers for the Delhi Assembly polls from the New Delhi Assembly constituency on Saturday, paving the way for a triangular contest between Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and former State BJP chief Vijender Gupta and him.
Accompanied by his parents, Govind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, and wife Sunita Devi, the chief ministerial candidate of the AAP filed his nomination at the District Magistrate’s office at Jamnagar House.
“A historic election”
“It is a historic election. Fifteen years of corrupt rule will be thrown out of power. We do not want power for ourselves but for the common man. Today, I have filed my nomination on their behalf. We are campaigning not to make me the CM, but to make every citizen feel like the CM of Delhi,” said the 45-year old AAP leader while addressing the media after filing his nomination.
The AAP leader alleged that the BJP has not given the Delhi Chief Minister a tough fight on her home turf over the past 15 years. He posed several questions to the BJP questioning the seriousness of its posturing against the Delhi Chief Minster who has been representing the constituency since 1998.
“Who said the BJP is serious about defeating the Delhi CM? Do you think Vijender Gupta will defeat her? Every senior BJP leader is looking a safe seat for himself/herself. Why doesn’t Dr. Harsh Vardhan leave his safe seat of Krishna Nagar and take on Ms. Dikshit?”
“Clean and honest”
“We promise to fulfil each and every single promise made to the people of Delhi. Our only aim and focus is to provide a clean and honest political alternative to people who are tired of corruption and dishonesty,” added the AAP leader.
When asked about the cases against him in his affidavit he said there were two cases filed against him by Ms. Dikshit and her close aid Pawan Khera.
Besides there were some cases slapped against him during the Jan Lokpal Movement and during the protests over the Delhi gang-rape. He has also been named in some cases related to the violation of the poll code by the AAP.
The crowd puller
Pran Kurup, a US-based software engineer and former president of the Silicon Valley Indian Professionals Association, was present on the spot. He compared the public support for the AAP with what the Tamil actor Rajnikanth said in one of his movies; “ Ithu thaanale senda kootam. Ithu sekapata kootam illa. ( The crowd has gathered here by itself. It has not been brought here).”
Mr. Kejriwal’s father acknowledged the challenge before his son but simultaneously expressed confidence about his son’s victory. “It has not been a day-long fight but a very long and sustained struggle against the political class, which doesn’t want change to happen. We have got people’s support all this while and we are confident of the people’s mandate,” said Mr. Kejriwal senior.
