Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is coming to Punjab on a three-day visit on July 3, this time with the formula of ‘social engineering’ and an eye on Dalit and minority votes. As per the itinerary, the Delhi chief minister will unveil his party’s ‘youth manifesto’ in Amritsar on July 3 before addressing a rally.
On July 4, Kejriwal will address an event of the Christian community in Gurdaspur and then visit a few villages in Jalandhar having considerable Dalit voters. This time, the AAP chief has planned no big rallies and is concentrating on connecting with the Dalit community through small ‘nukkad’ meetings.
A senior leader involved in finalising the Kejriwal’s itinerary told HT with 37% Dalit voters in Punjab, the support of this segment of voters was crucial for winning the 2017 assembly polls. As a ‘masterstroke’, Kejriwal may announce a skill development university in the name of BSP founder Kanshi Ram in case AAP is voted to power in Punjab.
“This declaration will be part of the youth manifesto to be released in Amritsar. If the AAP forms the government, the varsity will come-up in Doaba with regional centres in Malwa and Majha regions,” said a senior party functionary.
To woo the Dalits, the AAP has been desperately trying to invoke Kanshi Ram’s name to win over Dalits in Punjab. Kejriwal had visited Kanshi Ram’s family at Bunga village in Rupnagar district on the late Dalit leader’s birth anniversary on March 15 and had even demanded ‘Bharat Ratna’ for him. Kejirwal had also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a dera of Ravidassia community in Jalandhar.
{{/usCountry}}To woo the Dalits, the AAP has been desperately trying to invoke Kanshi Ram’s name to win over Dalits in Punjab. Kejriwal had visited Kanshi Ram’s family at Bunga village in Rupnagar district on the late Dalit leader’s birth anniversary on March 15 and had even demanded ‘Bharat Ratna’ for him. Kejirwal had also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a dera of Ravidassia community in Jalandhar.
{{/usCountry}}On July 4 evening, Kejriwal is expected to migle with the Muslim community in Malerkotla, followed by meetings with industrialists in Ludhiana and Khanna on July 5.
“The implementation of social engineering formula can work wonders for us before the assembly polls and after formation of the government. We are sure that Delhi CM’s visit will catapult the party ahead of others,” said Major Singh, journalist turned AAP leader and a member of Punjab Dialogue Commission.
AAP’s youth manifesto to be unveiled in Amritsar
Chandigarh: Arvind Kejriwal will unveil its youth-centric 51-point manifesto on July 3 in Amritsar, said Kanwar Sandhu, who heads the AAP’s manifesto committee for Punjab.
Sandhu said the manifesto was finalised after talking to the youth across the state. He said the manifesto focused on four major issues concerning the youth—education, employment, drug rehabilitation, sports and health. After this, the party will work on manifestos for women, Dalits and farmers, he said.
On drugs issue, Sandhu said the Badal government may be a denial mode, but data of arrests made under the NDPS Act shows that the menace is prevalent in the state.