Q/ How confident are you about the AAP’s chances this time?
A/ The Aam Aadmi Party will form the government in Punjab, because voters are fed up with traditional parties. They have seen 26 years of Congress rule and 24 years of Akali rule. There is a strong yearning for change because people identify the traditional parties with looting the state’s resources. The leaders of these parties are firmly entrenched in corruption and in furthering their businesses at the state’s expense. The people can relate to our slogan ‘Ik Mauka Kejriwal Nu’ (Give one chance to Kejriwal).
Q/ The AAP was the single largest party in the recently concluded Chandigarh municipal elections.
A/ Our victory in Chandigarh is the trailer of what will happen in the assembly polls. The people of Chandigarh voted for change. Also, what is significant is that while the BJP lost, the people did not vote for the Congress as its replacement. They placed faith in the AAP. It is another matter that the traditional parties indulged in underhand means to deny the AAP the mayor’s post and other important positions in the civic body.
Q/ What is the AAP’s election plank?
A/ Our campaign is marked by sincerity. We are not telling any lies and are not relying upon bluster. We have presented guarantees of what we intend to do. These are ‘Kejriwal’s guarantees’, which include electricity, health, education, problems of the dalits and women’s empowerment.
Q/ Your rivals call these promises blatant populism and ask where the revenue will come from to fulfil them?
A/ If our guarantees are sheer populism and are so impractical, why is everybody else trying to copy us? We have a blueprint ready on how we will fund these guarantees. We have the Delhi model of governance before us that proves that through efficient government functioning you can find the resources for these schemes.
Q/ Who is your main rival, the Congress or the Akali Dal?
A/ All parties are our rivals. It is a case of Kejriwal versus all. We saw what happened in the Chandigarh mayoral election. We saw what happened in 2017, when everybody got together to form an unholy alliance to ensure that the Congress won, only to keep the AAP out. However, the people have made up their mind for a change this time. The Congress is busy fighting itself, while the Akalis are completely discredited. And the less said about the BJP-plus alliance, the better.
Q/ The AAP’s campaign relies heavily on Kejriwal. Will you have a chief ministerial face?
A/ The AAP will have a chief ministerial face. The name will be announced at the right time and it will be from among the three crore Punjabis and will be from the Sikh community.
Q/ Will that face be Bhagwant Mann?
A/All I can say is that we will soon announce a CM face.
Q/ Will the repeal of the three contentious farm laws have any impact on the elections?
A/ The repeal of the farm laws will not change anything for traditional players. They all stand exposed. The people realise that the BJP withdrew the laws only for the sake of elections and they continue to be angry with the party. They are also aware that both the Congress and the Akalis have been involved in the drafting of the laws.
Q/ Will the AAP ally with the farmers’ groups that have entered the electoral fray?
A/ We will let you know if there is any such development. So far, we have not talked to the farmers’ groups about an alliance.