'Gujarat me AAP ki sarkar ban rahi hai': Arvind Kejriwal gives in writing ahead of Assembly elections

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (November 27, 2022) made a written assertion that his party is going to form a government in Gujarat after the upcoming Assembly polls. Addressing a press conference in Surat, he said that his predictions for the Delhi and Punjab Assembly elections came true, and the same will now happen in Gujarat.

"Many people say that my predictions in politics come true. During the 2014 Delhi Assembly elections, I told a journalist that Congress won't even win a seat and Congress eventually couldn't win a single seat. Even in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls, I made several predictions. I had said that Navjot Singh Siddhu will lose, (Charanjit Singh) Channi will lose from both his seats and that (Sukhbir Singh) Badal's whole family will be defeated," Kejriwal said.

"Even today, I am going to make a prediction in writing in front of you all... Note down the prediction that the Aam Aadmi Party is going to form a government in Gujarat. After 27 years of misgovernance, the citizens of Gujarat will get relief from these people (BJP)," he added as he wrote his prediction on a piece of paper and showed it to media persons.

@ArvindKejriwal जी की बड़ी भविष्यवाणी!

लिखकर दिया: गुजरात में आम आदमी पार्टी की सरकार बन रही है। pic.twitter.com/u5k8IhGpJf — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 27, 2022

He also claimed that people are so scared of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that they shy away from openly admitting support for the AAP in the Gujarat Assembly elections. 

The Delhi CM also urged government employees in Gujarat to back the AAP while promising implementation of the old pension scheme for them by January 31 next year.

The Gujarat government introduced a new contributory pension scheme (NPS) for employees joining the service on or after April 1, 2005.

According to the notification, it will make a matching contribution of 10 per cent of the basic pay plus dearness allowance contributed by the employees in the NPS fund. Under the Centre's scheme, the government will contribute 14 per cent against an employee's contribution of 10 per cent of his/her salary and DA with effect from April 1, 2019.

After protests by employees, the state government said the new pension will not be applicable to those employees who had joined duty before April 2005. It also promised to increase its contribution to the fund to 14 per cent from the 10 per cent earlier.

The employees have staged massive agitations against the government in Gujarat while demanding restoration of the OPS because they believe the NPS is not in the interest of retiring employees.

Kejriwal said, "By January 31, we will issue a notification for implementing the old pension scheme in Gujarat. I am not just talking. In Punjab, we have issued the notification."

Other contractual employees, policemen, state transport workers, village computer entrepreneurs, Anganwadi workers, teachers, health workers, talatis, and sanitation workers have different issues related to grade pay, permanent job, increase of wages and transfer posting, he noted.

"I assure them that we will resolve their issues. I request them all with folded hands that for a party to win an election, the support of government employees is important. I would appeal to them to give every single vote to the AAP in postal ballot and canvass for the party during the next three-four days," Kejriwal said.

The BJP was agitated because it was staring at defeat, and the Congress was nowhere in the picture, he claimed.

गुजरात के सभी सरकारी कर्मचारियों से मेरी अपील है- सारे जने इकठ्ठे होकर आम आदमी पार्टी को वोट दें।

सरकार बनते ही हम 31 जनवरी तक आपके लिए पुरानी पेंशन स्कीम लागू कर देंगे। आपकी सारी समस्याओं का समाधान करेंगे। pic.twitter.com/lmJFvJElUP — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 27, 2022

"It is the first time in 27 years that the BJP is so agitated. You go out on a street and ask people whom they would vote for. They would either say the AAP or the BJP. Those who say they would vote for the BJP reveal after five minutes that they and their entire mohalla were going to vote for broom (AAP's poll symbol)," Kejriwal said.

He also said that looking at people's reactions, it appeared everyone was deserting the BJP to vote for the AAP.

"We have contested elections in many states, but Gujarat is the first state where people are scared of declaring whom they would vote for. The common man is scared. Second, the Congress voters are nowhere to be found, and third, the BJP supporters are going to vote for the AAP in large numbers," he claimed.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, while the votes will be counted on December 8. 

(With agency inputs)