Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Punjab needs a chief minister who is very honest. Punjab is set to see a high-stakes assembly battle next month and AAP, which is one of the key challengers to the ruling Congress regime, has named Bhagwant Mann as its chief ministerial candidate.
Addressing a town-hall in the border state's Phillaur town, Kejriwal said, “Across Punjab, the AAP has fielded honest candidates so that an honest state government is formed. Our CM candidate does not have any money. Mann is very honest.”
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In a jibe aimed at leaders of ruling Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and other parties, Kejriwal said Mann has been an MP for seven years but still stays in a rented house.
“When a person becomes an MLA in Punjab, he can acquire big cars and houses. But Mann has been an MP for seven years and still stays in a rented house,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi CM further said that while on one hand, there are politicians with allegations of sale of drugs or illegal sand mining against them, there are others who have not even taken a pie from others. “Here is an honest politician who never took even 25 paise from anyone,” Kejriwal said, while referring to Mann, who will fight the upcoming election from the Dhuri constituency.
{{/usCountry}}The Delhi CM further said that while on one hand, there are politicians with allegations of sale of drugs or illegal sand mining against them, there are others who have not even taken a pie from others. “Here is an honest politician who never took even 25 paise from anyone,” Kejriwal said, while referring to Mann, who will fight the upcoming election from the Dhuri constituency.
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Hitting out chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Kejriwal said the latter did wonders in 111 days. “Huge piles of notes were found in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED's) raid. Can your children and the state of Punjab have a better future if the government of the sand mafia comes into power?” the AAP national convener added.
Channi has been in the eye of the storm over the ED's raids on his nephew Honey as a part of its probe against the sand mafia. The AAP has been one of the harshest criticis of the Congress-led government in Punjab regarding these raids.
Kejriwal further said that he and Mann had extensively discussed ways to change Punjab in the areas of industry, farming, education, employment and drug problem among others, while accusing the Congress and the SAD of looting the border state.