Hindustan Times (Ranchi)

After free power, AAP to unveil more freebies to woo U’khand voters

- Kalyan Das kalyan.das@htlive.com

DEHRADUN: After promising free power up to 300 units to each household, the Uttarakhan­d unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to announce more populist promises ahead of the next year’s assembly elections in the state. The party will come up with populist promises on education, water and health.

Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal last week promised free power up to 300 units if his party comes to power in the state.

AAP state president SS Kaler said, “The free power promise ahead of assembly elections has rattled both BJP and Congress as they didn’t anticipate this. Our party president Arvind Kejriwal will now visit Uttarakhan­d each month and make similar announceme­nts.”

“It will include water, education, health and other basic amenities for the public. These won’t be mere announceme­nts but our promises which will be fulfilled if the AAP wins the 2022 state elections.”

Kaler said the AAP was the first party in Uttarakhan­d which is “working for people.”

“The BJP and the Congress have taken turns to loot the state and do nothing for the people. We will change this by winning polls in 2022 and wrking for developmen­t,” said Kaler.

Party state incharge Dinesh Mohaniya, meanwhile, said after the party’s announceme­nt of free power, “both the Congress and

BJP are after them.”

“They are clearly rattled and calling it impractica­l. But we have already done that in Delhi and will show them how to do that here, too. Not just power, but will work with similar initiative­s in other domains also,” he said.

On Saturday, the party’s state unit launched “Kejriwal Muft Bijli Guarantee Card” under which party’s 10,000 workers will visit households in all the 70 assembly segments and urge the people to register for the free electricit­y service in lieu of which they will be given this card as a symbol of “guarantee that if the party comes to power, it will fulfil the promise”.

The card was launched by Mohaniya in presence of Kaler and senior party leader Col Ajay Kothiyal (retd) in an event in Dehradun.

The BJP and Congress, however, termed AAP as irrelevant in Uttarakhan­d politics.

BJP state media incharge Manveer Singh Chauhan said, “It is the modus operandi of the AAP to make false promises which they can’t fulfil. They are doing the same in Uttarakhan­d but they won’t succeed as people are here are aware of their despicable tactics.”

Congress state unit spokespers­on Garima Dasauni said: “The AAP knows that it has no political ground in Uttarakhan­d. Hence, it is making such promises months before the elections to garner some votes. But, the people of Uttarakhan­d are smart enough to not fall in their trap.”

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