Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Bharuch (Gujarat): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said though the Aam Aadmi Party's popularity is not captured in pre-poll surveys, its actual performance helps the outfit directly form government and asserted the Lok Sabha polls will deliver surprising results.
Mann, a senior leader of the AAP, an I.N.D.I.A bloc constituent, on Wednesday also dismissed as a 'jumla' (rhetoric) the BJP's poll slogan of 'Abki Baar 400 Paar' (saffron party-led NDA's claim of winning more than 400 Lok Sabha seats).
He said putting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the AAP convener, in jail in connection with the excise policy case ahead of the Lok Sabha elections reflected autocracy as well as conspiracy by the ruling party.
"This is both autocracy as well as conspiracy. This is their (BJP's) tactic to put opposition leaders in jail ahead of polls," Mann claimed.
He said, "Abki Baar 400 Paar is a jumla. Why did they (BJP) not say this during the 2020 assembly polls in Delhi? And who are they to decide how many seats they will win? It will be the 140 crore people of India who will decide who gets how many seats. This country is not somebody's personal property," he maintained.
Mann was talking to reporters after holding a roadshow in Gujarat's Bharuch town in support of AAP candidate Chaitar Vasava.
"We don't come in surveys. We directly form government. No one predicted our victory in Delhi or Punjab. Neither anyone predicted that five of our MLAs will win in Gujarat nor that AAP will win Chandigarh mayoral polls. Those who believe that this is their country, they will be surprised this time after seeing the results," he maintained.
Asked about his views on BJP's poll manifesto, Mann noted it was Kejriwal who started the trend of giving guarantees to voters ahead of the elections.
"It was Kejriwal who used to give guarantees. Now, out of fear, the BJP has started talking about guarantees in their manifesto," said the AAP leader.
He emphasised it was the AAP convener who started the practice of talking about schools, hospitals and infrastructure creation.
"Instead of doing caste-based politics, Arvind Kejriwal has taught us to talk about schools, hospitals, infrastructure and electricity. They only spread hatred. We are a secular party while they are stuck in the mud of caste-based politics," said the CM, lashing out at the BJP.
Young tribal leader Chaitar Vasava, a sitting AAP MLA, will take on BJP's six-time MP Mansukh Vasava in the tribal-dominated Bharuch Lok Sabha seat.
All the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat will vote in a single phase on May 7. After the roadshow, Chaitar Vasava exuded confidence about emerging victorious.
"We are confident that people will elect me. People gave 25 years to Mansukh Vasava but he failed to address key issues of this region, such as unemployment and poor health as well as education infrastructure. He also failed in helping locals in getting a fair compensation against their land acquired by the government," said the AAP MLA.
There is no point in giving the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bharuch five more years, said the AAP candidate.
"I am confident that people will vote for me this time. We want Bharuch to get the tag of a municipal corporation and ensure everyone's development," asserted Chaitar Vasava.