Ahead of Delhi assembly polls, AAP to launch campaign to seek support of autorickshaw drivers

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will launch an 'auto samvad' campaign from next week to seek the support of autorickshaw drivers here ahead of the Delhi assembly polls, which are due to be held early next year.

AAP Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai said auto drivers will become Arvind Kejriwal's representatives for the elections and will communicate and convey the AAP government's work to the people.

The campaign will begin from August 20 and a 14-member committee will conduct it at auto stands across the national capital, he said.

"In this campaign, auto drivers will convey works done by the Kejriwal government to the people, and will also tell them about the conspiracies of the BJP. Kejriwal has sent a message to auto drivers that even in jail he was worried their wellbeing," Rai said.

It is the BJP that sent Chief Minister Kejriwal to jail to stop his work for the development of Delhi and harass people, Rai alleged.

Kejriwal is in jail in a corruption case-linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said Kejriwal neglected auto drivers after using them as a "campaign tool" to win three elections in the national capital.

In a meeting of the AAP's auto wing, which was also attended by autorickshaw drivers, Rai said during the Covid pandemic, the Kejriwal government was the only one in the country that provided a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to each auto driver twice.

"This time the elections will be on the issue of whether work done by Kejriwal government will stop or will continue further. Kejriwal is committed to give free electricity and water, excellent schools and hospitals, and Mohalla Clinics to Delhi. The BJP wants to stop this," he claimed.

"If Arvind Kejriwal goes away after the elections then electricity and water, and schools and hospitals will also go away, and you will be charged double the price of facilities which were provided free of cost," he said at the meeting held at the AAP office.

Kejriwal has supported auto drivers in every crisis, and now he is in a crisis and requires the support of autorickshaw drivers, Rai said.

The chief minister considers auto drivers of Delhi as family, said the AAP leader, who who recently met the Kejriwal in Tihar jail.

BJP leader Sachdeva said Kejriwal has worked only to bring unprecedented changes in his own life by making auto drivers his brand ambassadors. Auto drivers are struggling with various challenges, he said.

"Kejriwal, had vowed not to take a government bungalow (as residence) after (winning) the 2013 and 2015 elections. He now lives in a lavish mansion while auto drivers are still forced to buy autos in the black market," he charged.

Kejriwal had promised many things to auto drivers, including stopping "black marketing" of auto permits, building new auto stands, providing healthcare facilities for their families and making better educational arrangements for their children. However, these promises remain unfulfilled, the BJP leader claimed.