Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seeks to woo traders ahead of Punjab polls, unveils 2 promises

Seeking to woo traders ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal promised that AAP will ensure their safety and stop their harassment if it comes to power in the state. Addressing a gathering in Bathinda during his two-day visit to Punjab, he stated that the new government will safeguard communal harmony and handle law and order efficiently. Moreover, the AAP supremo asserted that his party will provide a clean government to the state and assured an end to Inspector Raj, registration of fake cases, and other forms of harassment faced by traders.

Arvind Kejriwal remarked, "After April 1, the safety of every trader will be our responsibility. You don't have to be scared now. We will create a system akin to how Manish Sisodia gave a WhatsApp number. After giving that WhatsApp number, no inspector had the courage (to harass traders)". On this occasion, he highlighted the Delhi government's successful crackdown against corruption during his tenure as the CM. 

During his earlier visit to the state, he promised 300 units of free electricity, waiver of outstanding electricity bills and uninterrupted round-the-clock electricity in the scenario that the Aam Aadmi Party wins the 2022 Punjab election. AAP's other poll sops include free and quality healthcare for all, free medicines, tests and operations, free health cards for all 16,000 Pind clinics, construction of new world-class hospitals and free treatment of all road accident victims. While the Kejriwal-led party is yet to announce its CM candidate, many AAP workers are backing the candidature of the party's Punjab president Bhagwant Mann for the top post.

Political scenario in Punjab

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, Congress won a whopping 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats and failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. Despite winning a huge mandate, infighting erupted in the Congress camp leading to Amritsar East MLA and former swashbuckling batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu's resignation from the Cabinet in July 2019. 

Amid the infighting between the Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu camps, the situation escalated after Congress summoned a Legislative Party meeting at 5 pm on September 18 without keeping the Punjab CM in the loop. Announcing the decision on Twitter, Rawat asserted that the party had received a representation from a large number of MLAs demanding a meeting. Amid growing speculation that Singh will be ousted, the latter tendered his resignation to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit at about 4.30 pm on the same day owing to "humiliation". 

Thereafter, Charanjit Singh Channi was sworn in as the new Chief Minister along with two deputies Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni. However, the rift in the Congress camp is anything but under control as the former Punjab CM has vowed to pit a strong candidate against Sidhu in the 2022 Assembly election to ensure his defeat. It is perceived that the formation of a new party by Singh and Sidhu's disgruntlement might have an adverse impact on Congress' poll prospects giving hope to AAP.