Kejriwal: Free Power, Jobs Among 5 Promises for Haryana

New Delhi: In poll-bound Haryana, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced five guarantees, which include free 24x7 electricity and a monthly allowance of `1,000 to every woman above 18 years of age, to the voters. At rallies in Gurugram and Rewari, the former Delhi chief minister claimed that no government in Haryana will be formed without the AAP support and asserted that all its five guarantees will be fulfilled by the new government.

Mr Kejriwal, who was rallying for AAP candidates from Gurugram’s Badshahpur Bir Singh Sarpanch and Satish Yadav from Rewari, asserted that only his party can give free electricity in the state. "Only the AAP can reduce your electricity bills to zero," he said.

Targeting the BJP, he said that while the AAP-ruled Delhi and Punjab enjoy free, round-the-clock electricity, the BJP-ruled states suffer under the costliest power.

Announcing his five guarantees to the people of Haryana, Mr Kejriwal reiterated that these are my guarantees, not the fake ones made by the other political parties. He said: “The first guarantee is free round-the-clock electricity supply; we will even waive outstanding bills. The second guarantee is to build excellent hospitals and mohalla clinics. The third guarantee is to establish excellent schools. The fourth is to provide a monthly allowance of `1,000 to every woman above 18 years of age, while the fifth is about employment.”

Giving Delhi's reference, where the AAP has been in power since 2015, Mr Kejriwal said, “I have provided jobs to 12 lakhs youth. I know how to provide jobs and will ensure jobs for your children. While in Punjab, we have already provided 45,000 government jobs and arranged for 3.5-lakh private jobs.”

The AAP is contesting the 90-member Haryana Assembly polls alone. Mr Kejriwal exuded confidence about the party’s poll prospects in the impending Assembly elections.

"The AAP is winning many seats and no government can be formed in Haryana without our support," he said.

The AAP chief accused the BJP-led Central government of trying to "break" him during his time in jail and took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the BJP targeted him because of his political success in Delhi and Punjab.

The former Delhi chief minister also claimed the Central government is trying to stifle his welfare schemes. “Mr Modi thought that Kejriwal formed a government in Delhi and Punjab. Now, he fears that we will form a government in Haryana as well,” he said.

Striking an emotional cord, Mr Kejriwal also referred to his Haryana roots. He said, “They tried to torture me mentally and physically when I was in jail. I am a diabetic patient and I need four insulin injections every day, but they stopped my medicines. They wanted to break me, but they don't know that I am from Haryana, and you can't break a person from Haryana,” he said, adding, “the people of Haryana should give their son a chance to serve.”

Haryana will head to the polls on October 5. Results will be announced on October 8.