Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in Punjab today to make a "mega announcement" (File)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted Tuesday to say he is en route to Punjab - where battle lines between the ruling Congress and the AAP have been clearly drawn ahead of next year's election.
Mr Kejriwal proclaimed a "new dawn" for Punjab and signed off "see you in just a few hours".
The AAP also tweeted, saying: "Stage is set!! Arvind Kejriwalji will make a mega announcement today which will send 440 volt current to the Captain (Chief Minister Amarinder Singh) and Congress."
That tweet followed one from last night, in which Mr Kejriwal promised "200 units of free electricity" - a poll promise that won the AAP two Delhi elections and one he is expected to make in Punjab too.
"In Delhi, we provide 200 units of free electricity to every family. Women are very happy. Women in Punjab are unhappy with inflation. AAP will provide 200 units of free electricity for all in Punjab," Mr Kejriwal said.
That promise comes as the Congress high command pushes Amarinder Singh to make a similar promise - to ensure 200 units of power free for households, especially those in urban areas.
The AAP is targeting the issue of inflated power bills - which have been protested by state employees, unemployed teachers and opposition parties - to target the Punjab government.
Mr Kejriwal has also said the AAP's chief ministerial candidate will be from the Sikh community.
Arvind Kejriwal is expected to address a press conference in Chandigarh at 1 pm - an event for which permission, his party yesterday claimed, had been denied.
"Captain Amarinder's fear of Kejriwal has reached a point where his office has denied us permission to hold press conference at the pre-decided venue," party leader Raghav Chadha tweeted Monday.
Mr Singh hit back swiftly (and sarcastically), refusing the claim and adding "If he (Arvind Kejriwal) wants, I'd be happy to arrange his lunch too".
This will be Mr Kejriwal's second visit to Punjab this month.
Nine days ago he was in Amritsar to induct former IPS officer Vijay Pratap Singh, who was part of the team that investigated the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident.
The police team's report into that incident was quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April - an action that has added to rumblings within the Congress against Amarinder Singh.
Sparring between the two parties and their leaders has escalated steadily over the past few weeks with the 2022 election in mind. The two leaders have traded allegations - Mr Singh called Mr Kejriwal a "slimy fellow in the habit of lying" and was accused of helping the BJP with the controversial farm laws.
In the 2017 election, the AAP - led by Bhagwant Mann - won only 20 of 117 seats, and the Congress secured a dominant 77. But that was enough to become the state's main opposition after the Akali Dal-BJP alliance that was formerly in power finished with just 15 seats.