Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister and national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is on two-day visit to poll-bound Punjab, where he will meet with farmers and business people of the state.
Kejriwal met with the party leadership, accompanied by Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann, opposition leader Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP Punjab MLAs, and Raghav Chadha, the co-in charge of the party's political affairs in Punjab.
Around 11 a.m., Kejriwal arrived in Sangrur via railway and proceeded to Mann's home. The Delhi Chief Minister met farmers and businesses in Mansa and Bathinda districts, respectively, after meeting with party officials.
The AAP, Punjab's biggest opposition party, is planning to run for all 117 assembly seats in the state's elections next year with the hopes of winning and forming a government.
Kejriwal will meet farmers in Mansa on the first day of his visit (today) and "have a dialogue" with them.
On Friday, Kejriwal will visit Bhatinda and will meet with businessmen.
This is Kejriwal's second visit to Punjab this month, ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for early next year.
"Farmers and businesspeople in Punjab are struggling. They have been fed false optimism by successive governments. Chadha remarked in a Punjabi video message that all political parties have simply deceived them.
The AAP supremo said it is disturbing that the respective governments have failed to address a severe problem like farmer suicide during the "Kisan naal Kejriwal" program held at a resort in Mansa.
“The AAP is a votary to pay compensation on the basis of real cost incurred in a specific crop,” he added, alluding to the recent hailstorm and pink bollworm assault on kharif paddy and cotton crops.
Charanjit Singh Channi, the Punjab chief minister, was flayed by Kejriwal for his government's refusal to decide on compensation for farmers.
