Kejriwal woos youth, promises 800,000 jobs, WiFi (Roundup)

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal Saturday launched the party's Delhi Dialogue campaign and wooed the national capital's youth by promising 800,000 jobs, vocational training, stadia, new colleges and Wi-Fi across the city.

Delhi is headed for elections after the assembly was dissolved earlier this month. The polls are likely to be held early next year.

Addressing a gathering of around 5,000 people at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital, the former Delhi chief minister said that if voted to power, the Aam Aadmi Party "would create eight lakh jobs and train 10 lakh youth in the next five years".

The party sought suggestions through chits. Some 800 were collected.

"With this campaign we are giving two months' time to the people to tell us that what should be the blueprint of our party manifesto," party leader Yogendra Yadav said.

The AAP convener also promised to better the sports infrastructure by building stadia in the city.

"I had gone to a village (in Delhi) where there was no stadium. The villagers said they had land but no stadium. I asked them to give us land so that it can be turned into stadia," he said.

He said all sports grounds in government schools would be opened to budding sportspersons for training.

Kejriwal also announced a loan scheme for students passing out from Delhi's schools and wanting to pursue diploma or degree courses. He said no student would be denied a loan.

The AAP leader also promised to open 20 new colleges on the outskirts of the capital in partnership with villages.

He also said the AAP would make Delhi a drug-free city.

"Whatever we promised before coming to power, we fulfilled them in just 49 days. And whatever promises we have made today (Saturday), we will fulfill them as well," he said.

Kejriwal also promised to reduce the Value Added Tax and allow e-rickshaw to be plied in the city.

The two-year-old Aam Aadmi Party had stunned the nation by forming the government in Delhi last December with the backing of eight Congress legislators. Kejriwal, however, quit as chief minister after failing to introduce the Jan Lokpal bill in the assembly.

The second session of the dialogue will be held Nov 26 - foundation day of the two-year AAP. The party has decided to declare its foundation day as Women Safety Day.