File photo of Arvind Kejriwal
Hoping to put behind its disappointing performance in the Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party today virtually kickstarted its campaign to regain lost ground with a rally in New Delhi. The party also threatened to launch a door-to-door campaign if the state assembly was not dissolved within a week to pave the way for fresh elections.
Addressing a rally at Jantar Mantar, the popular protest hotspot in the heart of Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal attacked the BJP government at the Centre for "not allowing" dissolution of Delhi assembly as the party was "not ready to face the electorate" in the city.
In his 35-minute speech, his first major public address in New Delhi after the electoral drubbing of the party in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Kejriwal said the AAP was fully ready to face the election and claimed that BJP and Congress were shying away from polls as they were afraid of defeat.
"We are giving a week's time to the government. If they do not dissolve the assembly, we will undertake door-to-door and signature campaign and demand dissolution of the assembly so that fresh elections can be conducted," he said.
"The BJP and Congress should face fresh election. The BJP is delaying election and this is helping the AAP. If elections are conducted now, AAP will get 40 seats, if it is conducted in October, we will get 50 and 55 in February," added Mr Kejriwal.
Last year in December, the AAP had stunned political observers by winning 28 out of 70 seats in the state assembly elections. It later formed the government with outside support from Congress.
The 49-day AAP government had resigned on February 14 after it was defeated on the issue of tabling of the Janlokpal Bill. In the Lok Sabha election, held in April, the AAP could not even win a single seat in Delhi.
Speaking at the rally, Mr Kejriwal also slammed Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung alleging that he was not taking decisions "independently" and was functioning under the influence of the ruling party at the Centre "to save his chair."
"LG is trying to save his chair. If he does not listen to the BJP, he will lose his chair," he said.