Arvind Kejriwal clarifies: Punjab CM will be from the state

New Delhi: Resting all speculations that he was in the race for Punjab CM, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the party’s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab will be from the state itself.

“The CM of Punjab will be from the state itself,” he said while addressing a rally at Badshapur a day after Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told people in Mohali that they should vote assuming that it is to make Mr Kejriwal the CM.

Mr Sisodia’s remarks were latched on to by the SAD and Congress which accused the AAP of trying to foist an “outsider” on Punjab. However, Mr Kejriwal on Wednesday said he will remain the chief minister of Delhi and he holds huge responsibility. In the same breath he said, “Whosoever will be the Punjab chief minister, it will be my personal responsibility that all promises made by the AAP are fulfilled.” He said people of Punjab can make him “personally accountable” for all the works.

Punjab is going to polls on February 4. Hitting out at deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mr Kejriwal claimed that the Shiromani Akali Dal president woke up thrice from his sleep last night after having nightmares of him (Mr Kejriwal) being the next chief minister of the state.

Referring to allegations against a chit fund company, he said the AAP will mortage the properties of owners and get people’s money refunded. On Tuesday, Mr Kejriwal was virtually declared the chief ministerial candidate in Punjab by his Aam Aadmi Party, injecting a new dimension to what is considered a three-way race in the Assembly polls.

“You vote thinking that you are voting to make Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister (of Punjab). Your vote is for Mr Kejriwal,” Mr Sisodia had said.

AAP, which first captured power in Delhi in 2013 on the back of its civil society campaign against corruption, has been steadily making inroads in Punjab. It had won four Lok Sabha seats in 2014 but there has been infighting in the party.

Mr Sisodia assured the people that Kejriwal would honour all the promises after coming to power. “People were asking me who will be the Punjab chief minister. I want to say one thing here that you should believe that Arvind Kejriwal is going to be Punjab’s CM,” he had said.

He also said, “Whosoever will be the CM, it shall be the responsibility of Kejriwal to get all the promises honoured...I give you guarantee in this regard.” Mr Kejriwal claimed that Congress’ election manifesto was a “lie” and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh has himself said “one has to lie before elections”.