What’s in a name? They’re all Kejriwals

While every political party is deriding Aam Aadmi Party chief as a 'deserter of Delhi', he is nearly deified in this small settlement, where people believe only he can rid the country of corruption.

In Ghoghalgaon, a tiny hamlet in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, two men greet each other thus: "Kejriwal, kaise ho".

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Before I could ask them anything, the duo walks up to me and say, "There are a 1,000 Kejriwals in Ghoghalgaon. We greet each other as such."

"Even kids and women are addressed as Kejriwal," says 80-year-old Bhiku Bai.

While every political party is deriding Aam Aadmi Party chief as a "deserter of Delhi", he is nearly deified in this small settlement, where people believe only he can rid the country of corruption.

Kejriwal's popularity has reached a feverish pitch here. Every mobile phone's ringtone is "mein hoon aam aadmi".

Arun Tirole, a villager says, "We take pride in calling ourselves as Kejriwal. Whenever we go out of our village, we don't forget to wear AAP caps".

"We have even asked our relatives to support AAP or we will end relations with them," says Sohanlal Patel, a farmer.

The villagers say neither Arun Yadav (Congress candidate), nor Nandkumar Singh Chauhan (BJP) has visited the village so far.

"They know that nobody is going to vote for them. All votes will go to Alok Agarwal (AAP candidate)," said Gajraj Giri, a resident of neighbouring Kamankheda village, which shot into fame after 51 farmers stayed immersed in water for 17 days for land rights in 2012.

As the agitators stuck to their guns, the government had bowed down and met their demand for levelling the height of Omkareshwar dam to 189 meters and land-for-land compensation.