Arvind Kejriwal speaks to the people of Gujarat
Ahmedabad:
Arvind Kejriwal, seated under a tree in a village in north west of Ahmedabad, had a simple question for the crowd of about 200 surrounding him. "If you are unhappy with Narendra Modi, why did you vote for him?"
The villagers shared stories that contradict the claims of development that Mr Modi, the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister, has centre-pieced in his campaign.
The women in the audience said government schools are sub-standard and hospitals non-existent. The men said they pay bribes to government officers. Most of these villagers were AAP supporters.
Mr Kejriwal listened intently. For the next three days, the former tax inspector will tour parts of Mr Modi's homestead, part of a self-declared audit of Mr Modi's performance as the man who has governed Gujarat for nearly 13 years. "(They say) education has developed, health issues have been resolved, corruption has been finished... so we have come here to see that development in Gujarat," he said after landing in Ahmedabad this morning.
Opinion polls predict that the BJP, led by Mr Modi, will emerge as the largest party but fall short of a majority in the general election that begins on April 7. Results will be declared on May 16.
Since Mr Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi last month, he has been expending his efforts on campaigning and strategising for the national election. His Aam Aadmi Party or AAP has suggested that Mr Kejriwal will run against Mr Modi if the BJP leader runs for Parliament from anywhere outside Gujarat.
Just over a year since its formation, AAP, which has positioned itself as an anti-corruption party, won enough seats in December's Delhi state elections to take power. Mr Kejriwal quit as chief minister after the anti-graft bill proposal he championed, the Jan Lokpal Bill, was stalled in the Delhi legislature.
The villagers shared stories that contradict the claims of development that Mr Modi, the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister, has centre-pieced in his campaign.
The women in the audience said government schools are sub-standard and hospitals non-existent. The men said they pay bribes to government officers. Most of these villagers were AAP supporters.
Mr Kejriwal listened intently. For the next three days, the former tax inspector will tour parts of Mr Modi's homestead, part of a self-declared audit of Mr Modi's performance as the man who has governed Gujarat for nearly 13 years. "(They say) education has developed, health issues have been resolved, corruption has been finished... so we have come here to see that development in Gujarat," he said after landing in Ahmedabad this morning.
Opinion polls predict that the BJP, led by Mr Modi, will emerge as the largest party but fall short of a majority in the general election that begins on April 7. Results will be declared on May 16.
Since Mr Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi last month, he has been expending his efforts on campaigning and strategising for the national election. His Aam Aadmi Party or AAP has suggested that Mr Kejriwal will run against Mr Modi if the BJP leader runs for Parliament from anywhere outside Gujarat.
Just over a year since its formation, AAP, which has positioned itself as an anti-corruption party, won enough seats in December's Delhi state elections to take power. Mr Kejriwal quit as chief minister after the anti-graft bill proposal he championed, the Jan Lokpal Bill, was stalled in the Delhi legislature.
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