A day after reports surfaced about him being in reckoning for the Punjab CM post, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled himself out of the race for the top post in the state.
“Whoever may be CM, I will ensure implementation of promises. What is wrong if Sisodia said that? I am Delhi CM, I cannot be Punjab CM,” said Arvind Kejriwal at a rally in Punjab.
On Tuesday, Manish Sisodia appealed to Punjab voters to vote in the name of Kejriwal, kicking up a row with the Opposition alleging that AAP is planning to install Kejriwal as Punjab chief minister should it come to power.
Also read: Assume Arvind Kejriwal is your CM: Sisodia at Mohali rally
“Ye samajh ke vote do ki aap Arvind Kejriwal ko vote de rahe ho. Aapka vote Kejriwal ke naam pe hai, (Vote for us thinking that you are voting for Kejriwal)” Sisodia said at a public meeting in Mohali.
Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal was quick to latch on the Sisodia statement.
“By asking people to vote for Arvind Kejrwal as CM of Punjab, Sisodia has exposed their plan. AAP has proven it doesn’t trust Punjabis,” he tweeted.
“I ask Punjabis to evaluate the actions of this anti-Punjab party & reject attempts to foist outsiders on the State @ArvindKejriwal (sic),” Badal tweeted.
Next in line was Captain Amarinder Singh, the Congress CM hopeful.
“After months of beating around the bush, truth of Arvind Kejriwal and his nefarious ambitions come out,” he tweeted.
In one of his recent rallies, Kejriwal had announced that a Dalit will be the deputy chief minister of Punjab if his party comes to power in the state.
State Assembly election in Punjab is scheduled for February 4 and results will be announced on March 11.
