Apparently worried over a dwindling support base as projected by pre-poll surveys, the BJP has stepped up its attack against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.
A review meeting of the election campaign, done by the BJP top brass here on Thursday, decided to pose five questions a day to Kejriwal. The meeting was chaired by party president Amit Shah.
To end the confusion over manifesto, the party has decided to release a vision document for Delhi incorporating the points made by its chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi.
“We will not release a party’s manifesto for the Delhi Assembly election this time. Instead, we will come out with a vision document. The party has set a target to win the upcoming polls,” Union Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting.
The entire central leadership of the BJP, including several ministers and MPs, is camping in Delhi to “lift” the campaign. Apart from Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, a number of senior leaders of the BJP and RSS are engaged in campaign-related work for the party.
When asked why all central leaders are focusing on a State election, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said he saw nothing wrong in it. “They are all party members. Don’t blame us that other parties do not have so many MPs to campaign for the party,” he said, adding that the BJP has a clear vision about Delhi.
Questions for the day Rudy further said the BJP will ask Kejriwal five questions a day till February 5, when campaign ends. The BJP leader questioned the claims of the AAP that the party fights corruption and favours simplicity in public life.
He said Kejriwal had promised that a probe will be ordered against the Sheila Dikshit government if he was brought into power. “Why didn’t he file a case against her and make the documents of her involvement in the Commonwealth Games scam public?” Rudy asked.
He said the AAP had promised that none of its ministers will opt for security. “Why there were so many policemen around Kejriwal when he was Chief Minister?” he asked.
He reminded the AAP that it claimed to stand for minimum use of public funds for the expenses of ministers. “He came for his swearing-in ceremony in Metro and a (Maruti) Wagan R. Then why did he and AAP’s ministers ask for SUVs from the Delhi government?” he questioned.
Rudy added that Kejriwal had travelled in business class and chartered flights even though he criticised other parties for using flights for campaigning.
“Why did AAP compromise on principles for power?” he asked.