Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, on Tuesday, urged the people of Punjab to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party “as if they were voting for Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister”.
Mr Sisodia’s comments made during his first day of the election campaign in Mohali have triggered a controversy with the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress lapping up the opportunity to cry conspiracy even as AAP clarified Mr Sisodia’s comments were taken out of context.
Calling it an “obsessive and abominable lust” for Punjab’s CM, Captain Amarinder Singh said it would be suicidal for Punjab if AAP won power in the state.
“If that happens, Punjab would end up with a chief minister from Haryana, with which it is at a conflict on a whole lot of contentious issues. Will he then stand for Punjab or take the side of Haryana,” said the Punjab Congress chief.
Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman, Maheshinder Singh Grewal termed it a conspiracy against the interests of Punjab.
"It’s a very deep conspiracy against Punjab and Punjab’s interests. By proposing Arvind Kejriwal as the CM candidate of Punjab, they (AAP) have made it clear that they do not trust anyone from Punjab,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Dr Dharamvir Gandhi who was elected as a member of Parliament from Patiala on AAP ticket and was later sacked from the party, said it would be a disrespect to the people of Delhi and Punjab if Kejriwal were to take reigns of Punjab.
“It may be an attempt to create a media hype around Kejriwal. But if they are serious, it will not only be disrespect to the people of Delhi, but also to the political acumen of Punjab and Punjabis,” he told The Tribune.
Seen as a formidable third alternative in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party hasn’t so far formally announced the name of their chief ministerial candidate causing much speculation around the issue. Though Bhagwant Mann, MP from Sangrur has been campaigning for the party throughout the state, and another comedian-turned-politician Gurpreet Ghuggi later assumed the charge of the party’s state unit, the formal announcement of the CM nominee is keenly awaited.
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