Mixed response for Kejriwal roadshow in Bangalore

Kejriwal started the roadshow from Hebbal in northwest suburb amid tight security and passed through localities such as Ganganagar, R T Nagar, Jayamahal, Cantonment, Queens Road in the central business district. Later in the afternoon, he passed through Brigade Road, Richmond Circle, Mysore Bank Circle, Lalbagh West Gate, Ashoka Pillar Circle, Jayanagar 3rd Block, South End Circle, DVG Road, Ramakrishna Ashram, Chamarajpet, Vijayanagar, Rajaji Nagar, Malleshwaram, before concluding his rally at War Memorial.

Flanked by the party’s candidates — former Infosys chief financial officer V Balakrishnan (contesting from Bangalore Central), Nina Nayak (Bangalore South), Babu Mathew (Bangalore North) and party’s state unit convener Pritvi Reddy in the vehicle — Kejriwal greeted and waved to the people.

Though the AAP convoy, led by a dozen motorbikes of its volunteers, stuck to the routes and thoroughfares cleared by the traffic police, its slow movement and gathering of people at signal junctions and crossroads caused gridlock as vehicular movement had to be diverted and restricted.

Kejriwal held the party’s symbol broom in his hand and posed for photographers at several places.

Halting at after every two-three km, Kejriwal sought the people’s support to strengthen his battle against corruption, price rise, criminal politicians and crony capitalism.

"The people of Karnataka are fed up with the corrupt administration of both Congress and BJP over the years. They had no choice but to vote these two parties alternatively like a musical chair. Now, the people of the state have a choice in Aam Aadmi Party,\" Kejriwal said in his short speeches at many places.

Urging the people to press the party’s symbol (broom) in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for providing an alternative government, Kejriwal said in chaste Hindi using English words liberally that Bangalore and Karnataka people had great responsibility to clean-up the system for transparent governance, infrastructure development and efficient delivery of goods and services by bureaucrats by electing his party to power.

I hope the intelligent and discerning voters will strengthen our party’s battle against the ills plaguing the country by joining hands with us,” Kejriwal said.

After winding through the three Lok Sabha constituencies in the city, the road show concluded at the War Memorial in the city centre.

Kejriwal is also attending a fund-raising dinner at a star hotel in the city late Saturday on the first day of his two-day weekend trip to the state.

On Sunday, Kejriwal will travel to Chikkballapur, about 70 km from here, to hold road shows and address a public meeting in the backward district from where Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily has been re-nominated by the ruling Congress to contest from the parliamentary constituency in the neighbouring district.

On return by Sunday afternoon, Kejriwal will address a public rally at Freedom Park in the city centre as part of the poll campaign.