Haryana will oust BJP: Kejriwal

Taking over the reins of the AAP’s campaign in the poll-bound state, which is facing a multi-cornered contest, the outgoing Delhi chief minister said people will oust the BJP in the October 5 state Assembly polls.

Accompanied by AAP's Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta, Mr Kejriwal held a roadshow in favour of his party candidate Adarsh Pal. The AAP is contesting the Haryana polls on all 90 seats after its talks with the Congress over a seat-share agreement broke down.

During the Jagadhri rally, Mr Kejriwal asserted that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party. He said that Haryana wants "badlaav" this time. "We are getting so many seats that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the AAP's support. In entire Haryana, the first seat which we will win is Jagadhri."

Hitting out at the ruling BJP in the state, the AAP chief said, "Wherever you go, you come to know that people don't allow them to enter villages and streets." He alleged that corruption, unemployment, inflation and the drug menace have increased under the BJP rule in Haryana.

"What did the BJP give you? Corruption, unemployment, inflation and drugs to your children. Nothing else," he said.

Hoping to reap poll-dividends by projecting himself as "Haryana ka lal" (son of the soil), Mr Kejriwal struck an emotional note on being jailed and claimed he was tortured behind the bars. "They had put me in jail. I remained there for five months in the jhootha, farzi (false, fake) case. While I was in jail, they tried to break me down using various tactics. Their aim was somehow to make Kejriwal bow down.”

He alleged that he was not even given facilities allowed to common prisoners. For many days, they stopped his medicines, he said, adding, "I don't know what they wanted to do with me... They wanted that I should break, but they don't know that I come from Haryana. Haryana's blood runs in my veins. You can break anyone, but not a Haryanawala," he said.

"Aur inhone jo kuchh bhi kara mere saath, Haryana ka bacha bacha uska badla lega (Whatever they did to me, every single child of Haryana will take revenge for that)," he said.

"Earlier, when people were fed up with one party, they used to vote for the other party and so on. But this time, there is an honest party. When I was in jail, they tried to purchase our MLAs… They said they will purchase our MLAs in Delhi, break our government and bring down the Punjab government. But they could not break even a single worker of our party. Our party is kattar imandar (staunch honest)," he said.

“When I came out of jail, I could have sat on the chief minister's chair, but I said no. When Lord Ram had returned after 14 years in exile, Sita mata had to give agnipariksha. I will also give agnipariksha," he said.

Elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 5. The counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.