Arvind Kejriwal waves to his party volunteers and supporters at the AAP victory rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal will visit Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra tomorrow, where his one-time mentor Anna Hazare is on a hunger strike to demand that the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill be passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
"We salute Anna ji's campaign, we support him completely," the hero of last week's Delhi election said this evening.
Mr Kejriwal was addressing his Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) newly-elected legislators and volunteers, who he thanked for coming in from all parts of the world and working tirelessly to ensure that a political party launched just a year ago by the tax-commissioner-turned-activist landed 28 of Delhi's 70 Assembly seats. (
At Delhi rally, Arvind Kejriwal's 'Kalavati' moment)
"Some people are mistaken that we are here to celebrate. How can we celebrate till poverty, corruption, illiteracy, hunger, health issues remain in this country?" said Mr Kejriwal. (
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He made it clear that he will not be pressured into trying to form government in Delhi and lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the single largest party in the new Assembly, for not doing so.
"If the BJP doesn't get majority at the Centre, will they also not stake claim then?" he said, adding, "If an election is dumped on us, are you ready?"
"Yes," the 4500-strong crowd roared.
If no party stakes claim to form government in Delhi, President's Rule could be imposed leading to fresh elections.
Anna and Mr Kejriwal had in 2011, engineered a huge anti-graft movement that electrified middle class India. The apogee of the campaign was a 16-day fast by Anna in Delhi which drew thousands of people every day, and impelled street protests in other cities.
As Anna's health deteriorated, a shaken Parliament agreed to urgently introduce the new law. It cleared the Lok Sabha, but flopped in the Rajya Sabha.
A version amended by a parliamentary panel will have to be introduced and passed by the Rajya Sabha and then the Lok Sabha. So far, this session of Parliament has seen no business being transacted.
Mr Kejriwal and Anna parted ways last year after the former decided to launch the Aam Aadmi Party. Anna said he could not be associated with a political organisation.