(From Left) Delhi minister Gopal Rai, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Punjab cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)More than 1,000 people from 20 states who came to attend the Aam Aadmi Party’s first ‘Jan Pratinidhi Sammelan’ (national conference) echoed a similar point on Sunday: That they wished to see Arvind Kejriwal as the Prime Minister one day.
Harshal Sahare, a gram panchayat member from Maharashtra, said, “I have attended other meetings and met chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann ji earlier, but this is the first time we have been invited to such a huge meeting. Kejriwal’s speech inspired us to work for the public and we are following in his footsteps… I am waiting for the 2024 elections and want to see him as the PM,” said.
Jeevanandan from Tamil Nadu’s Ranipettai gram sabha chimed in, “In Tamil Nadu, the DMK is the heavyweight but youngsters are drawn to the AAP and its model. Last year, AAP won a seat in the council elections. We have formed Assembly committees and booth-level meetings to invite youngsters to join the party and work at the grassroots level. For AAP, it is tough but Kejriwal’s fanbase, especially amid the suburban youth, is high.”
E Joseph Raja, state general secretary from Tamil Nadu, said, “After its growth in Punjab, AAP is garnering strength in TN… About 4,000 people have gathered to join the AAP in a single day… You can see that DMK leaders are also visiting Delhi to meet Kejriwal. This reflects the party’s popularity among the masses in the state.”
A group of elected representatives from Haryana was in consonance: “We want to see Kejriwal as the PM. He is working for the poor person’s children, education, and better health facilities. Everyone is calling it free ki revdi, but he cares about everyone unlike the other party that works for the rich, rains promises during elections and forgets the public… No leader has thought about makings India number 1 but he does… He is a true leader.”
A representative from Karnataka, Damodaran, said, “We are following five principles — education, health, equal opportunities for women, better services for farmers and world-class infrastructure. To achieve this, we have to be inside the Assembly and the system for which we are working tirelessly.”
Mangala Maraskhole from Ghondiya in Maharashtra said, “I saw Kejriwal ji for the first and felt very happy. We are feeling very motivated and civic polls in Maharashtra are around the corner. The party will contest.”
Many were seen from Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, and several elected representatives who attended the programme were from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh. Among those present were 63 MLAs from Delhi, 92 MLAs from Punjab, two from Goa, and 10 Rajya Sabha members of Delhi and Punjab. Gram Panchayat and Zila Parishad members and Mayors were also in attendance.