Elect AAP if you want to end corruption in Himachal, Kejriwal, Mann tell voters

Kejriwal claims his party eradicated corruption in Delhi and Punjab

ITDC INDIA/EPRESS ITDC NEWS R Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, on Wednesday, urged voters to elect the AAP in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections due later this year if they want corruption eradicated from the state.

Addressing AAP supporters at Seri Chowk in Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's home district Mandi, AAP national convener Kejriwal said his party knows "how to love the country, do work and wipe out corruption", but it does not know "how to do politics".

"If you want to get rid of corruption in Himachal Pradesh, elect AAP candidates to form an honest government in the coming elections," Kejriwal said.

 "We know how to create good schools, excellent hospitals, uninterrupted water and power supplies."

 Kejriwal claimed that his party first eradicated corruption from Delhi, and now the Bhagwant Mann-led government has wiped out corruption from Punjab within 20 days of coming to power.

Before their address, the AAP leaders carried out a roadshow from New Victoria Bridge to Seri Chowk. Supporters of the party waved national flags and patriotic songs were played during the roadshow.

Earlier, Mann told the gathering, "It seems as if I am in Sangrur, not Mandi."

In his address, Mann attacked both the Congress and the BJP, and likened them to the British colonials."The British enslaved India for about 200 years. Now the BJP and the Congress are enslaving us turn by turn in installments for five years," the Punjab chief minister said.

Mann further said it was possible only under the AAP for a teacher's son like him to become a chief minister.

The AAP worker who defeated former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the recent state assembly elections used to repair mobile phones, he said.

A woman social worker from the AAP defeated Punjab Congress president Navjot Sidhu and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Mann said.

He said BJP and Congress leaders of Himachal Pradesh are worried as the AAP scored a landmark victory in neighbouring Punjab.Though they are issuing statements that the AAP would not be able to perform well in Himachal Pradesh, it only shows their concerns, Mann added.

Talking to the media, Delhi minister and in-charge of the AAP's affairs in Himachal Pradesh Satyendar Jain said the party chose Mandi district for its roadshow as it is located in the central part of Himachal Pradesh and is the chief minister's home district.

A number of AAP supporters from Punjab and Delhi also came to Himachal Pradesh to attend the roadshow. At this, Jain said AAP workers mainly came from different areas of Himachal Pradesh, but some were from Punjab and Delhi.

On the AAP performing well in Punjab but not so much in the four of the five states where Assembly polls were held recently, with most of its candidates even losing their deposits in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa, Jain said many BJP candidates also lost their deposits in Punjab.