AAP star campaigner Bhagwant Mann waves at 'empty streets' in Gujarat; BJP releases video

As the campaigning for the next month's Gujarat Assembly elections is in full swing, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday shared a video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann conducting a road show on empty streets.

Sharing the video, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tweeted, "The Chief Minister of Punjab was found roaming alone in the streets of Gujarat!" BJP leader Amit Malviya also took a dig at the "road show of Arvind Kejriwal's close aide Bhagwant Mann in Gujarat."

The video shows Bhagwant Mann's convoy passing through a nearly empty street. The Punjab Chief Minister then sticks out his head and waves at the people, who don't reply to Mann's gesture.

In the clip, one person is also heard explaining to another unaware individual about Bhagwant Mann. "He is the Chief Minister of Punjab," the person says.

Bhupendra Patel is 'puppet CM': Kejriwal

Last week, Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and called him a "puppet CM" who cannot even appoint his people. He also alleged that there is secret collusion between the BJP and Congress.

"He (Bhupendra Patel) has no power, he is a 'kathputli' (puppet) CM. He cannot even change his peon. He is a good man, he is not bad. I have heard that he is very religious. But nobody listens to him. He is a puppet CM," the AAP leader said, asking the audience if they wanted a puppet CM or an educated CM. Kejriwal made these statements while campaigning for AAP's chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi.

He also compared the relationship between the BJP and Congress to that between a boy and a girl who meet secretly before marriage.

"When you ask them, they will say there is nothing but friendship between them. Similarly, when you ask them (Congress and BJP), they will say there is nothing but friendship between us. I am telling them that this is enough, they are exposed now, and should get married. Everybody knows that you are a couple, so get married," he said.