Ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s departure for Australia over Christmas, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called all AAP Punjab MLAs and Cabinet Ministers to Delhi on Wednesday for a meeting ahead of the Delhi polls.
Government sources said Mann has linked his private visit to Australia with the Pro Kabaddi League match in Adelaide on December 28. Before leaving for Australia, he will attend a meeting with Kejriwal. AAP state chief Aman Arora will also be present.
According to sources, Kejriwal will address MLAs and ministers after the municipal elections in Punjab. “Although we have not been given any agenda for the meeting, it is clear that the focus will be on the Delhi elections. We will be held accountable. The Aam Aadmi Party is also not very excited about the municipal results in Punjab. We don’t want to take any chances in Delhi,” a party source said.
He said that he has campaigned in more than five elections this year. “The fatigue is fading now. But we will have to win Delhi in a do-or-die battle. Delhi is the heartland of AAP. We were just waiting for the MC elections in Punjab. Now, we will switch to Delhi assembly election mode.
The opposition has criticized Mann’s visit to Australia. State BJP chief Sunil Kumar Zakhar on Monday lashed out at Mann as farmers staged protests along the border between Khanauri and Shambhu and farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his hunger strike in Khanauri. Earlier in the day, Zakhar said, “Maan’s condition is urgent, and he is going to Australia.”
An AAP leader defended Mann, saying, “He only went there to cheer the Indian team. What’s the big deal? Why can’t the Chief Minister go?
While Punjab AAP leaders are gearing up for the Delhi assembly elections, Punjab is facing its own problems. The state government has planned to bring the draft of the Centre’s agricultural market policy to the winter session of the Legislative Assembly to reject it. “The coming days will be busy. Delhi elections will be announced anytime, and we have our own issues. We have to manage both,’ said a party leader.
Punjab has been in election mode since March 16 after the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls came into effect. The Lok Sabha elections were held in the last phase in Punjab on June 1, with the code of conduct lasting two-and-a-half months. Ten days after that Jalandhar (West) by-election was announced, Jalandhar district was again held by-election till 10th of July under the code of conduct.
Political activity remained high throughout this period. Aam Aadmi Party state chief Bhagwant Mann had rented a house in Jalandhar to lead the campaign.
In September, panchayat elections were announced, enforcing the code of conduct in more than 13,000 villages. Apart from the Akalis, the state’s political leadership also campaigned for the October 5 assembly elections in Haryana.
On October 15, Punjab held panchayat elections, with the Election Commission of India announcing by-elections in four assembly constituencies – Giddarbaha, Barnala, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak. The by-election was held on November 20. Soon after that, the municipal election was announced, and was held on Saturday.
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