Chandigarh, February 12 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Days after the poll debacle in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal today called upon party legislators from Punjab to stay united and work towards creating an “ideal model” of governance.
The top leadership, which had on Sunday evening summoned the MLAs to Delhi, is learnt to have termed the loss a learning curve for the party and asked the legislators not to get disheartened as 44 per cent of the electorate in the national capital had voted for them.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had a brief interaction with Kejriwal after the MLAs’ meeting at Kapurthala House in Delhi, later dismissed speculation of dissent within the AAP state unit and said the party was united. The meeting comes amid assertions by Opposition leaders in Punjab of a possible breakup in the party legislature in the aftermath of the electoral loss. The party has 94 MLAs, well above the 59 required for a simple majority in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
While some Congress leaders had claimed that nearly 30 AAP legislators were in touch with them and ready to switch sides, BJP functionaries in Delhi had said the days of Mann were numbered as Kejriwal would replace him as the state chief minister soon.
Amid the “flexing of political muscle” by Opposition parties, Punjab AAP leaders today asserted that “all is well in the state’s ruling party”, referring to the near-full attendance at the meeting.
CM Mann, talking to mediapersons after the meeting, scoffed at the Opposition, saying: “We are united and completely dedicated to the party that has been formed with our sweat and blood. The meeting was held to thank the Punjab unit for its campaign during the Delhi elections.”
“Rather than counting our MLAs, Partap Bajwa (Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly) should focus on the number of Congress legislators in Delhi,” Mann retorted.
“Law and order in Punjab is better than most states, which is why companies have invested in the state. Being a border state, we have to put in extra efforts, and we are doing that. We did great work in Delhi and are doing the same in Punjab. We have set up 850 mohalla clinics in the state; revamped hospitals; and launched schools of eminence, whose students are excelling in competitive exams,” the Punjab CM asserted.
Mann, who was accompanied by state AAP president Aman Arora and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, highlighted the “Punjab model” said they had fulfilled most of the guarantees given to voters ahead of the Punjab elections. The party would deliver on the promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month monetary support to women soon, he said.
Mann asserted that they had shut down toll plazas, passing on a daily benefit of Rs 62 lakh to commuters, besides limiting the number of pensions that former MLAs could draw to one.
At the meeting with MLAs, Kejriwal and CM Mann are learnt to have exhorted them to shun the “trappings of power”, work with humility and help the party create a “Punjab model of good governance”. Kejriwal asked the party MLAs to “approach him directly” if they faced impediments while carrying out works for the welfare of people.
Barring a handful of MLAs, including Vijay Pratap, all ministers and MLAs were present at the meeting that lasted 30 minutes. Amongst other top leaders present were former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak.
Summary: Arvind Kejriwal, at a Delhi meeting, emphasizes unity among Punjab legislators, describing recent electoral losses as a chance for growth and reflection.