New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was expected to file his nomination on Monday for the assembly elections at the end of a grand roadshow, had to postpone the paperwork as he failed to reach the venue on time. The job, he said, would be done on Tuesday, which is also the last day for the filing of nomination.
A candidate has to reach the office of the Election Commissioner — where the papers have to be filed — by 3 pm. But the roadshow ran into extra time, while making its way through the crowded heart of Delhi.
“I was told I’ll have to file nomination, but I said how can I leave them (his supporters at the road show) and go? I’ll go to file the nomination tomorrow,” Kejriwal told reporters.
The roadshow, which started from the iconic Valmiki Mandir, was expected to go through the roads of Kejriwal’s New Delhi Constituency before ending at the Patel Chowk metro station.
Visuals from the area showed the Chief Minister standing in a slow-moving vehicle, surrounded by a sea of supporters waving brooms, the party symbol. He was accompanied by his family, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
The party’s re-election slogan “Acchhe beete panch saal, lage raho Kejriwal (past five years have been good, keep going Kejriwal),” rang out repeatedly.
Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party is expecting to improve on its results of 2015, when it won a sweeping victory with 67 of the 70 assembly seats. Its vote share was a whopping 54.3 per cent.
This time, with hopes to win all 70 seats, AAP has fielded 46 sitting MLAs and 24 new faces.
On Sunday, Kejriwal announced what he called a “10-point Guarantee Card” for the people of Delhi, promising free power and water, a world-class education to every child and a clean environment.
The opposition Congress said the “guarantee card” was a “jumla”(election gimmick). The BJP called it a “lie”, saying AAP was staring at defeat.
The election will be held on February 8, the votes will be counted three days later.
