BY VISHAL GULATI Chandigarh : , November 26th, 2018 – A war of words is raging between the Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener (AAP) and an ‘aam Aadmi’ (common person) Chief Minister of Punjab’s state ruling Congress.
Arvind Kejriwal, AAP’s national convener, is currently on a tour throughout Delhi, where he is making his point about Charanjit Channi, his Punjab counterpart, as a ‘fake am aadmi’.
Both are determined to be the real ‘aam aadmi.
Even Kejriwal, who sees a strong undercurrent against two of the state’s most prominent parties — the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress — has been blaming Channi, for replicating his successful model for Delhi governance in Punjab at fag end government.
Contrary to this, Channi is making every effort to reach out to voters, even at doorsteps.His predecessor Amarinder Singh is to blame for running the four-and a half year government largely out of his farmhouse at the foothills Shivalik hills.
The education system is the latest target of the war on words.
Responding to Pargat Singh, the Punjab Education Minister, claiming that government schools were better than those in Delhi, Kejriwal said on Thursday that if people are truly happy with the schools and education system in Punjab, then they can vote for the Congress.
“But if they want brilliant school systems and an education system as Delhi, then vote Aam Aadmi Party.” Kejriwal said in a statement that his main concern is the fact that his party’s number has dropped to 11 legislators from 20 since 2017.
The nine AAP legislators have either left the party, been suspended or disqualified, or switched loyalties to Congress.
Pargat Singh, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, and Education Minister Manish Singodia joined the debate.
“Pargat Singh should present the 10 best government schools of Punjab, and I will show 10 government school in Delhi.I am open to an open discussion.
Pargat Singh should be courageous to accept this challenge.Sisodia stated that the public should make the decision.
Channi, who was in charge on September 20th, is keeping his feet on the ground and describing his government as the “government of the common person, for the common people, and by the common people” and himself as the “brother of all Punjabis”.
He performs ‘bhangra’, sings folk songs to the reverberating beats from a ‘dhol’ at public events, enjoys tea at roadside eateries, and narrates couplets to the masses.
Channi (58), a three-time Congress member, comes from humble ancestry.
Political observers believe that Channi is trying build an image of an “aam aadmi” by inviting people along.
“Unlike the incumbent, who preferred to keep distance from the public,” Channi told IANS, requesting anonymity.
“He also interacts regularly with the party cadre, who was somehow lying down owing to deliberate ignorance over over four-and-a half years,” said the leader.He added, “Channi, you are a brother in arms.”
Channi stated that his government was a representative for the poor on the day he assumed the charge.He said this because he had a rickshaw in his youth.
Channi, who doesn’t miss any opportunity to call Kejriwal an outsider but recalls his past and tries to relive it, spent Thursday night at the same gurudwara in village Chand Purana village close to Moga town.
This was during a cycle yatra, which was conducted to educate people about the anti-people policies implemented by the SAD-BJP government.
The Punjab Cabinet decided this month to reduce the power tariff for consumers with connected loads up to 7 KW by Rs 3.This was in response to Kejriwal’s prepoll promise to provide subsidized electricity to domestic consumers.
This will mean that 69 lakh domestic customers, out of the total 71.75 million, will be able to benefit.Officials told IANS that this tariff rationalisation would reduce the annual financial burden on India’s state exchequer by Rs 3,316 crore.
There will be an existing free power facility of up to 1 KW for the Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Classes and the below poverty line (BPL).This will allow for the continuation of the allotment and regularisation of land to the poor, regularisation and services of the government, and filling of vacancies in government.
Channi stopped unscheduled while he listened to their problems before Kejriwal’s program to meet auto-rickshaw drivers at Ludhiana on November 22.
The Chief Minister, along with Navjot Sidhu (the President of the State Congress), sat on a wooden stool amongst the auto-rickshaw drivers and interacted.
Channi, in his impeccable style, enjoyed the tea offered by them by dipping an’mathi’ in a cup of tea.
Kejriwal, seeing that the Congress is following his pre-election promises and threatening to transfer Rs 1000 per month to the account of every woman over 18 years in Punjab, if his party is elected to power, has promised to transfer Rs 1000 per month to the account of each woman over 18 years in Punjab.
He called Channi “fake Kejriwal”, and accused the Congress leader, accusing him of copying his promises but not fulfilling them.
Kejriwal stated that if there are three women living in a household — a bahu, a beti (daughter), and saas [mother-in law], all three will receive this amount.
(Vishal Gulati can also be reached at vishal.g@ians.in
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