Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal emphasised the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) growing presence in Madhya Pradesh, while participating in a roadshow held in the state's Singrauli district on Thursday, 2 November.
Elections for 230 Assembly seats are scheduled to be held in Madhya Pradesh on 17 November. Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined AAP's Singrauli candidate Rani Agrawal as part of the poll campaign. Kejriwal said that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is concerned about AAP's growing presence in several states.
Rani Agrawal, a member of the Bania community, is a major candidate who is contesting from an Assembly constituency that is predominantly populated by Brahmin and Kshatriya voters.
Kejriwal attended the roadshow in Singrauli, defying the Enforcement Directorate's summons directing him to appear for questioning in relation to the Delhi excise policy case.
“I don’t know if I will be in jail when the MP poll results will be announced on 3 December, but I would be happy if people elect an AAP candidate from Singrauli. Even if I am in jail, this news will please me enough,” said Kejriwal.
“The BJP is threatening to put me in jail. I am not worried about jail because I am among those who emerged from the Ramlila Maidan," he added.
On the ED summons, Kejriwal further said, "You can arrest my body, but not my vision. Those who were with me at the Ramlila Maidan are now imprisoned. But I'm not worried about it."
AAP made its presence felt in Madhya Pradesh by winning the mayoral seat in Singrauli, which is a coal mine hub.
Singrauli, a semi-urban seat, has emerged as an important political battleground ahead of the Madhya Pradesh polls and is poised for a high-stakes contest as it houses power plants as well as coal mines.
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