New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal today took a swipe at the Congress, saying a vote for it in Goa will mean an "indirect vote" for the BJP, given the trend of Congressmen joining the ruling party. The battle in Goa, therefore, is between the AAP and the BJP, he added, urging people to vote for his party to see the BJP out.
"The people of Goa have a choice between AAP and BJP. If you want a clean, honest government, you can vote for AAP. The other option is to vote for the BJP directly or indirectly. Indirect voting is when you vote for the Congress, that Congress man will win and go to the BJP," Mr Kejriwal said at the NDTV townhall.
The reference was to the situation since the 2017 elections in the coastal state. The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in the election with 17 MLAs, now has just two. Most of the rest have joined the BJP after it formed the government in the state.
Yesterday, all 40 candidates of AAP signed a legally enforceable loyalty pledge, promising to not to defect and provide a clean, corruption-free government if elected.
"All of our candidates are honest but this affidavit is needed to assure voters that these candidates are honest," Mr Kejriwal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The year 2017, he said, was first year when AAP contested in Goa so this time, they have prepared in an organized, systematic manner and gone to the people. "This was especially so during the pandemic when AAP collected donations from across the country and had gone door-to-door in Goa. "Where was the BJP government that time? Where was the Congress?" he said.
Elections to all 40 Assembly seats in Goa are scheduled on February 14 and results will be declared on March 10. The AAP is contesting all the Assembly seats in the state.