Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday organised two road shows — one covering Badli and Adarsh Nagar assembly segments, and the other in Shastri Nagar and Krishna Nagar seats.
The constituencies have a significant population of Purvanchalis, a term used for migrants from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. While Badli and Adarsh Nagar are in the northern peripheries of the city, Shastri Nagar and Krishna Nagar are in the trans-Yamuna region.
“Your party affiliation does not matter, this election vote for a better future… Cast your vote for better schools, better hospitals and cheaper electricity…,” announced Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, addressing a public gathering at Badli, flanked by security officials on all sides, on Wednesday.
The leader was joined by many supporters, two days after he led a massive roadshow in urban locations such as Connaught Place that had prevented him from filing his nomination papers that day. He eventually filed his papers from New Delhi Assembly constituency on Tuesday.
“Even if you are supporter of any other party whom you may have voted for in the Lok Sabha polls, I appeal to you to vote for the AAP in the assembly polls,” Kejriwal said on Wednesday.
The party also organised public gatherings of senior leaders – such as deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, labour minister Gopal Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Punjab MP Bhagwant Mann – in several constituencies. Thursday, Kejriwal is scheduled to start his second round of town halls – starting from Siri Fort auditorium.
At the Badli-Adarsh Nagar roadshow, several trucks and SUVs trailed the chief minister’s vehicle with loudspeakers playing the party’s campaign song ‘Lage Raho Kejriwal’ as the group navigated through narrow lanes, dotted by residents and several dairy farms. Kejriwal’s vehicle stopped in a traffic intersection where he addressed a gathering around noon.
By 4pm, a traffic intersection in Shastri Park turned into a sea of blue and white as hundreds gathered for participating in Kejriwal’s second road show of the day, wearing the party’s poll campaign tee shirts. Kejriwal led the road show in a similar fashion – waving at people from the back of an open roof vehicle.
Rai, who is also the party’s Delhi convener, said that Kejriwal will lead several such road shows for the next two months. Meanwhile, the party will release its manifesto after January 26.
