Arvind Kejriwal started the AAP's campaign in Gujarat with an attack on Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
Highlights
- Kejriwal flags off campaign with attack on Chief Minister Anandiben Patel
- Kejrwal arrived in Rajkot with family, Kumar Vishwas
- After visit to Somanth temple, he is expected to also visit farmers
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today flagged off the Aam Aadmi Party's campaign for the 2017 Gujarat elections after arriving in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state for a day-long visit.
Mr Kejriwal, who landed in Rajkot this morning with his family and party leader Kumar Vishwas, first paid a visit to the famous Lord Shiva temple in Somnath before launching the campaign with an attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
"My original programme of Gujarat was of two days. Today we were to visit Somnath, and tomorrow we had meeting in Surat. But Anandibenji put undue pressure on people in and businessmen in Surat and got our programme cancelled," he said.
Mr Kejriwal also evoked Hardik Patel, saying that although the Patel quota agitation leader was locked up in jail over a sedition case, no such case has been registered against former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse who faces allegations including of irregularities in a land deal and receiving calls on his mobile from a landline number of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Mr Kejriwal's visit is seen as an attempt to give a push to the his local party organization and carve out a space for a third front in the state which so far has remained a two-party battlefield.
"In democracy, everybody has the right to express their views. Ours is a democracy," the AAP chief said.
During the tour, Mr Kejriwal also visited villages of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Rajkot district to meet farmers, making a pitch that they would be treated far better than under BJP rule.
Mr Kejriwal's scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation, which AAP alleged was at the behest of state BJP government.