Kejriwal will also attend a fund-raising dinner at a star hotel in the city late Saturday on the first day of his two-day weekend trip to the state.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal is in Bangalore today to campaign for his party’s candidates contesting the general elections on April 17 across Karnataka. He started a road show from Hebbal in northwest suburb of the city amid tight security, Kejriwal’s cavalcade passed through thickly populated localities such as Ganganagar, R T Nagar, Jayamahal, Cantonment and Queens Road in the city centre by noon.
Former Infosys honcho V. Balakrishnan is fighting the election from Bangalore Central, Nina Nayak from Bangalore South and Babu Mathew from Bangalore North. Kejriwal was joined by party’s state unit convener Pritvi Reddy as well.
Kejriwal greeted and waved to the people who stood on both sides of the roads from the maroon multi-utility vehicle with open rooftop being used for the purpose.
The AAP convoy, led by a dozen motorbikes of its volunteers, stuck to the routes and thoroughfares cleared by the traffic police. But its slow movement and gathering of people at signal junctions and cross-roads enroute caused grid lock as vehicular movement had to be diverted and restricted to ease the situation.
The fledgling party’s symbol, the broom, was held high by some of the candidates and volunteers. Halting at every 2-3 km and holding a makeshift mike and loudspeaker, Kejriwal sought the people’s support in strengthen his battle against corruption, price rise, criminal politicians and crony capitalists.
“I hope the intelligent and discerning voters of this reputed cosmopolitan will strengthen our party’s battle against the ills plaguing the country by joining hands with us,” Kejriwal asserted.
Urging the people to press the party’s symbol in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for providing an alternative government, Kejriwal said in chaste Hindi using English words liberally that Bangalore and Karnataka people had great responsibility to clean-up the system for transparent governance, infrastructure development and efficient delivery of goods and services by bureaucrats by electing his party to power.
After winding through the three Lok Sabha constituencies in the city, the road show will conclude at the War Memorial in the city centre by late Saturday.
Kejriwal will also attend a fund-raising dinner at a star hotel in the city late Saturday on the first day of his two-day weekend trip to the state. A Rs 20,000 meal per person with Kejriwal has been arranged for some odd 300 people for fundraising purpose.
He will drive Sunday to Chikkballapur, about 70km from here, to hold road shows and address a public meeting in the backward district from where union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily has been re-nominated by the ruling Congress to contest from the parliamentary constituency in the neighbouring district. On return by Sunday afternoon, Kejriwal will address a public rally at Freedom Park in the city centre as part of the poll campaign.
Although Kejriwal is claiming to win 100 seats in this election, his party is already marred with controversy. With the gradual disenchantment of people from the party, it will be interesting to see how much votes he earns from Karnataka.
