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PM gave me certificate of 'imandaar' CM, says Kejriwal as AAP eyes Karnataka polls
Kejriwal delivered an emphatic endorsement of his party and its achievements in Delhi.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed Thursday prime minister Narendra Modi had given him the 'certificate of imandaar (honest) chief minister' because the Central Bureau of Investigation had raided conducted raids at his residence and found nothing. The Aam Aadmi Party boss - who snatched Punjab from the Congress in February's assembly election - was speaking in Karnataka's Bengaluru ahead of polls in the southern state next year.
"PM made the CBI raid my residence... officials entered my bedroom but they couldn't find anything. Eventually PM gave me the certificate of 'imandaar' CM. Ours is a honest government... we made it in Delhi then in Punjab, now we'll form govt in Karnataka," news agency ANI quoted Kejriwal.
Kejriwal delivered an emphatic endorsement of his party and its achievements in Delhi.
"Four lakh students came from private schools to government schools this year. Medical treatment for two crore people is free in Delhi. Earlier there were power cuts for eight hours... now people get electricity supply for 24 hours with zero bills," he said.
Kejriwal and the AAP have made no secret of their desire to expand beyond the national capital and challenge Modi and the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The speech in Bengaluru was a further sign of that ambition; the party had also organised a mass membership drive immediately after results for five state elections were annoucned in March, hoping to capitalise on the momentum generated by the win in Punjab.
Kejriwal is expected to meet AAP leaders in this regard, ANI reported.
AAP Karnataka convener Prithvi Reddy earlier said the party would provide a platform for people who want to fight for the farmers and solve issues faced by the farming community.
"It will be a historic day. So far farmers of the state have voted various parties to power but have only obtained false promises and cheating in return. Farmers of the state have now decided to enter politics themselves and shape their future. After studying all the parties, they today feel that only AAP is working to solve issues after understanding the difficulties faced by the people," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
