NEW DELHI, Oct 29: Following its own Punjab model, the Aam Aadmi Party has requested the people of Gujarat to suggest the name of the party’s chief ministerial face for the Gujarat state Assembly elections scheduled later this year.
The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would announce on November 4 the name of its chief ministerial candidate on the basis of opinion given by the people of the State.
Addressing a press conference, the AAP’s national convener urged people to contact the party through SMS, WhatsApp, voice mail and e-mail to give their views about who should be the CM candidate from the party. He said there is an atmosphere of change in Gujarat and people believe that AAP is going to form a government in the State.
“Today, I would like to ask the people of Gujarat as to who they want to see as the next CM of Gujarat. To know the opinion of the public, we are releasing a number – 6357000 360. You can send SMS, WhatsApp messages, and leave voice messages. We are also releasing e-mail – aapnocm@gmail.com,” Mr. Kejriwal said. He said people can give their choice in four ways – SMS, WhatsApp, voice mail or e-mail till 5 pm on November 3. “We will announce the result on November 4,” he said.
Mr. Kejriwal also targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for replacing former chief minister Vijay Rupani with Bhupendra Patel, and said it was done without asking the people of the State. He said that by removing Mr. Rupani from the post, the BJP admitted that there was something wrong and that he had shortcomings. “Was he removed because he was corrupt or inefficient? Why was he removed? He was removed a year ago. When Rupani was brought, they did not ask the public. They keep changing the chief minister without asking the public,” the AAP leader said.
Such a practice is not followed in AAP, where the party asks people to decide as to who they want to see as their chief minister, he added. “During the Punjab elections, we had asked people as to who should be the next chief minister. People named Bhagwant Mann by a huge majority. And as per the wishes of the public, we announced his name,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
(Manas Dasgupta)