Kejriwal targets the poor in final leg of campaigning

Kejriwal was seen clicking a 'selfie' with residents, hearing out the problems of sanitation workers, visiting slums in narrow lanes

On the final day of campaigning ahead of the Delhi elections on Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal reached out to his core vote bank — the lower middle class and the economically weaker sections. He was campaigning in his New Delhi constituency.

In a seven-hour long campaign, Kejriwal was seen clicking a ‘selfie’ with residents, hearing out the problems of the sanitation workers, visiting slums in the narrow lanes of the plush constituency and urging people living in housing complexes to give him “full majority this time.”

At each of his stopovers in 22 locations, Kejriwal projected 49 days of the AAP government’s rule in Delhi last year. “Do you agree that corruption was weeded out when we were in power?” Kejriwal asked residents of B K Dutt Colony in his constituency.

Kejriwal also visited the Valmiki Sadan colony and listened to people’s grievances. A few months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched his flagship initiative Swachh Bharat Abhiyan from here.

Kejriwal started the campaign with a rally where he was accompanied Mayank Gandhi, Prithvi Reddy and others. He also conducted door-to-door campaign.

At most of his halts, Kejriwal kept reminding the citizens about the recent opinion polls which predict an AAP victory. “Even the television channels are giving us close to 40 seats now,” Kejriwal said, while addressing people at the IMD residential complex at Lodhi Road.

At the South Avenue, barely 2 km away from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kejriwal’s cavalcade stopped at the Dhobi Ghat.

Kejriwal stepped out of his car to shake hands with the poor living in small tents.

The Aam Aadmi Party volunteers spread out to all locations where Kejriwal was supposed to visit and informed the people about his arrival in advance.

An old man walked up to Kejriwal and complained about the daily issues his family faces, including unemployment of his son and soaring vegetable prices. An overwhelmed Kejriwal assured him of getting rid of all the problems and urged to vote for jhadu (AAP’s party’s election symbol).

“I have been selfless in my fight against corruption. I left all posts to contest the Delhi polls,” Kejriwal told reporters.

At East Kidwai Nagar, where construction of a shopping mall was in full swing, a confident Kejriwal declared victory to the gathered crowd which included residents and site workers.

“It is not AAP but you who will take the pledge at the swearing-in ceremony on February 15,” Kejriwal said.

Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign managers were enthused with the support Kejriwal got on Thursday.

“We are amazed with the response this time and I think we will beat even last year’s margin. Kejriwal had tried to reach out to all communities and classes,” Gopal Mohan, Kejriwal’s campaign manager said.

In the last Assembly elections, Kejriwal, fighting his debut elections, had beaten former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit by an impressive margin of 20,000 votes in the New Delhi constituency. This time, the Bhartiya Janata Party has fielded former Delhi University Student Union president Nupur Sharma and the Congress has fielded Kiran Walia, a former minister.