Kejriwal says he does not want to become PM if INDIA wins because…
In an interview, Kejriwal claimed that if the BJP returned to power, all opposition leaders would end up in jail, and the elections would be manipulated.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that he didn't want to become the next prime minister if the INDIA bloc wins the Lok Sabha elections. His main goal is to protect the country and democracy from "dictatorship".
He said, “I have no such intention. We (AAP) are a very small party contesting only 22 seats.”
In an interview with PTI, Kejriwal claimed that if the BJP returned to power, all opposition leaders would end up in jail, and the elections would be manipulated.
Speaking on whether he would accept Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the next PM, Kejriwal said, “There has been no such discussion. It's a theoretical question. We will discuss it when we sit together.”
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When asked about the absence of the PM face of the INDIA bloc, Kejriwal said, “The concern of all right now is that they will not spare anyone.”
He added that he expected the opposition's alliance to win in Delhi. “There is such a wave of AAP and INDIA bloc that I would not be surprised that the previous records of Vidhan Sabha polls in which we (AAP) won 67 seats (in 2015) and 62 seats (in 2020) are broken this time,” he said.
He said that the opposition's prime minister candidate would be decided after the Lok Sabha election results are announced on June 4.
Kejriwal added that the INDIA bloc was getting closer to securing 300 seats.
“It will form the government on its own. The alliance will give a good, stable government,” he said.
Kejriwal on dictatorship
Without mentioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he added, “The current Lok Sabha polls were for saving the country and democracy from the prevailing dictatorship. They will finish democracy if they come back to power.”
Kejriwal, who was given interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise liquor policy, said his arrest and time in jail is an emotional issue for Delhi voters and will hurt the BJP.
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“We are hearing about dictatorship and people saying that they have to vote against this dictatorship. This sentiment is very strong.”
He said that people had “tremendous anger” as they felt a “good man” had been arrested. He added that his release was like a “miracle of God”
“When I go for campaigning, people have moist eyes.”
Compares India with other nations
Kejriwal compared India with Russia and Pakistan. He said, “Elections will not be held, and even if it takes place, it will happen as in Russia. Putin either sent the entire opposition to jail or finished them and then held elections and got 87 per cent votes.”
Further, he referred to PTI leader Imran Khan being sent to jail in Pakistan and said, “They (BJP) will also do it... will send AAP (leaders) in jail, Mamata Banerjee in jail. No one will be left out. All will be in jail and then they will keep on winning elections.”
Kejriwal blames BJP for sending him to jail
Kejriwal said the BJP sent him to jail, thinking it would weaken his party, but he added that the opposite happened.
“They (BJP) thought after my arrest, the campaign will be affected and our party will disintegrate, MLAs will break away and the government will topple. But the opposite happened. Our party became more unified, our leadership worked like a family and our workers were encouraged to work harder when they saw their leader was in jail,” said the AAP chief.
