Arvind Kejriwal to visit poll-bound Goa today to step up AAP's campaigning

Ahead of 2022 Goa Polls, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal is all set to make a two-day visit to Goa. Kejriwal will commence his latest trip to the state today on December 21. The AAP chief had earlier visited the poll-bound state and had promised a Delhi-like model in the state if the party was voted to power.

As per latest information, Arvind Kejriwal will land at the Dabolim Airport and will address a public meeting at Bandodkar Ground in Panaji at 5 p.m. Later, Kejriwal is also set to hold a press conference at Cidade at 5 p.m. on December 22. The Delhi CM had visited the state earlier this month. Making yet another pre-poll promise, the AAP national convenor, if voted to power in Goa, promised to give ₹1000 per month to every female over 18 years of age.

Addressing a press event, Kejriwal had said that he would also increase Griha Aadhar allowance from ₹1500 to ₹2500/month in Goa. Faced with the Opposition's ire over freebies, Kejriwal claimed that his guarantees would cost only ₹1000 crore while Goa's yearly budget was ₹22,000 crore.

He added that as corruption amounted to 20% of the budget (₹4400 crore), his govt could afford to give ₹1000/month to every woman, an unemployment allowance, free electricity and free Tirth Yatra. AAP has offered similar freebies both in Uttarakhand and Punjab as well, where it eyes to make inroads. The coastal state of Goa, along with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Punjab, goes to the polls in February 2022.

Goa polls 2022

The coastal state, which is all set to go into assembly elections next year, is already prepping up for 2022 as the existing state government's tenure ends on March 15, 2022, before which a new government has to be sworn in. Political parties including Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and others are already campaigning ahead of the polls in the BJP-led state.

While AAP is aggressively campaigning in Goa, promising a Delhi-like model, TMC to has been eyeing to make inroads in the state. On the other hand, Congress has joined hands with Goa Forward Party (GFP), NCP, MGB to take on the BJP. In 2019, 10 of 15 Congress MLAs merged with the ruling BJP, increasing the saffron party's strength to 27 in the 40-seat house. Congress, which had emerged as the single-largest party after 2017 Assembly polls in the coastal state, was reduced to five legislators. 

Image: PTI