Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday repeated his request to voters to take money from other political parties and then vote for AAP, during the second day of his roadshows in Delhi.
Mr. Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and East Delhi candidate Atishi also did a part of their roadshow in a red e-rickshaw through the narrow lanes of Shashi Garden in East Delhi. At one point, the Deputy Chief Minister had to even raise the roof, made of a plastic sheet, of a shop with his hands to protect their heads.
The entourage was accompanied by hundreds of party workers that witnessed showering of flowers and sloganeering as Mr. Kejriwal addressed crowds at different points in between his roadshow.
“When they come to give money, what will you do? You won’t deny it, right? Take it, but cast your vote on jhadu [AAP’s election symbol]. No one would know for whom you cast your vote,” Mr. Kejriwal said while addressing a crowd close Trilokpuri in East Delhi around 7 p.m. on Thursday.
On Wednesday also Mr. Kejriwal had made a similar statement during his first roadshow this election season. “On the night of election, do they [other political parties] come to give money or not? What will you do? Take it, don’t deny it, but vote for jhadu ,” Mr. Kejriwal had said, while addressing a gathering at L Block in Wazirpur JJ cluster.
On Wednesday, Mr. Kejriwal was issued a notice by the Election Commission to reply to a complaint by BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta that the AAP had distributed pamphlets in slum clusters, asking people to take money from the Congress and the BJP on the night of election and vote for AAP.
Spat with BJP leader
Earlier on Thursday, responding to Mr. Gupta on Twitter, the AAP chief had tweeted: “We are saying to take the money from the other parties and vote for us. What’s your problem? Does your party also give money? If not, then why are you so troubled?”
When reached out, Mr. Gupta said, “We have met the election officer today. Mr. Kejriwal is bribing people by asking them to take money and this is also in violation of the model code of conduct. The Election Commission should take action against him.”
Attack on Gambhir
“Gautam Gambhir will go to England or South Africa to play cricket. Where will you go if you have any problems?” Mr. Kejriwal asks at a roadshow in Trilokpuri.
“Will you go searching for him in England? Vote for someone who lives among you. You can knock at Atishi’s door at 2 a.m. and get your work done. Those who play cricket should keep playing cricket, they shouldn’t come into politics,” he said.
At Block 33 in Trilokpuri, Mr. Kejriwal’s entourage came across across a group of people holding Congress flags and BJP posters. “This is the beauty of India,” he said while addressing the gathering.
“But vote for jhadu this time. Next time vote for whichever party you want. This election is to save the country from the Modi-Shah duo,” he added.
Mr. Kejriwal said that the Congress will lose their deposit and if anyone has any doubt about this, he would explain it to them.
