Isn't Rahul Gandhi enough to weaken Congress, Kejriwal takes potshot

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took a potshot at the Congress, saying Rahul Gandhi was "enough" to weaken it, rejecting allegations the AAP was acting as a B-team of the BJP and weakening the Congress.

The Aam Aadmi Party national convenor also sought to maintain distance from the ongoing bid to form a grand opposition alliance to keep the BJP at bay in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Alliance politics should be left to those who are working on it, Kejriwal said, adding he did not understand it.

The Delhi chief minister was replying to questions at a townhall event organised by NDTV.

"Am I needed to weaken the Congress? Isn't Rahul Gandhi enough," he quipped when asked to comment on allegations levelled by political rivals that his AAP was weakening the Congress and acting as a B-team of the BJP to help the saffron party win elections.

On the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' of the Congress, Kejriwal said, "Let them do it. Everyone should do good work. Best of luck (to Congress)."

On efforts being made by opposition leaders, including his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, to form a grand alliance of non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Delhi chief minister said India would not become the number one country in the world "by bringing politicians together".

India will become number one in the world only with the alliance of 130 crore people of the country, he added.

"I am not against anybody. But I do not understand this politics of alliance.... Leave this politics to them," Kejriwal said.

"If you have to build schools, hospitals, roads or fix electricity-related problems, call me. I will fix the problem as I am an IIT engineer," he added.

Kejriwal said India can be made number one in the world within five years if free and quality education was offered to students, free and good healthcare services made available to citizens and every youngster in the country given a job.

Asked whether such things would happen if the AAP came to power at the Centre and he became the prime minister, Kejriwal said, "In a democracy, people take decisions. When all of them come together, they will decide.."

"We have to overhaul the education system, healthcare system and provide employment to every youngster. And this is possible. We have shown by doing this in the past seven years (in Delhi). The country has only been looted and fooled in the past 75 years," he added.