Varanasi, Mar 25: Arvind Kejriwal told a capacity crowd at a rally in Varanasi today that he will take on the BJP's Narendra Modi in the general elections in this temple town of Uttar Pradesh.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief built a case for his candidacy by ripping into Mr Modi's claims of development in Gujarat, the state he governs, and then said, "I will contest these elections against Modi from Varanasi."
He invited the BJP leader for an open debate alleging, "He doesn't speak to anyone, comes by helicopters, holds a rally and leaves by helicopter. He has to come here and talk to the people of this country... and if Modi doesn't come then you should realise that he is surely hiding something."
Mr Kejriwal had said earlier this month that he would consult the people of the city on whether he should challenge the Gujarat chief minister in Varanasi, considered a BJP stronghold. At his rally today he said, "I want to ask you all, should I contest these elections against Narendra Modi? But I don't have the power of money, I will come to you to ask for money. We will contest these elections with your money."
He asked people to take a month's leave and campaign for him in Varanasi and also in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Earlier in the day, he said, "Banaras and Amethi are the only two contests that matter in this election. Our priority must be to have Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi defeated."
Today, as he toured the city after arriving in Varanasi by train this morning, protesters who raised slogans against him and in praise of Mr Modi, hurled an egg at Mr Kejriwal's car; in another place someone threw black ink at him.
The BJP's decision to have Mr Modi run for the Lok Sabha from Varanasi is designed to enthuse voters in India's largest state to support the party. Mr Modi, who has never contested a national election, will also be contesting from a second seat - Vadodara in his home state Gujarat.
Mr Kejriwal said that like other leaders he too could have opted foor a "safe seat". But, he said, "I have no desire to become an MP." The AAP chief had contested his first election in December last year, earning the sobriquet of giant-killer by defeating Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit by a massive margin.
Earlier this month, he had conducted a controversial tour of Gujarat saying he wanted to audit Mr Modi's competence in his four terms as chief minister. Unsurprisingly, Mr Kejriwal said the BJP's claims of development in Gujarat did not check out.
- What did we do wrong? We were shown black flags, black ink was thrown on us by Narendra Modi's goons
- Has BJP ever show black flags to Sonia, Rahul Gandhi, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid?
- Has the Congress ever shown black flags to Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, BS Yeddyurappa? Never!
- Do we need more proof that the Congress, the BJP are hand in glove with each other?
- BJP, Congress has been looting this country turn by turn since the last so many years
- AAP has come in and humne unka raaita phaila diya
- If you come to Kashi, no matter how dirty Ganga water is, once has to take the holy dip
- Roads, electricity, water, everything is in a mess in Varanasi
- I have good news for everyone in Varanasi, the women of Varanasi - There was going to be immense price hike from April 1, gas price was to be increased from April 1
- If gas price would have doubled, the women in our houses would be in trouble
- Election Commission has accepted our request. Gas price hike has been postponed by two months
- If you elect the wrong government after two months then don't blame us for this corruption
- I have no desire to become an MP. If I did I would have found a 'safe seat'
- Why would I leave the chief minister' seat if I was greedy?
- I had to leave the chief minister's seat because the Congress and the BJP together didn't allow my Lokpal bill to be passed
- Hence I quit chief minister's post based on my values
- Congress, BJP keeps calling me a 'bhagoda'
- Lord Ram sent to exile by his mother for 14 years. Everyone supported him then
- If BJP existed then, they would've said God Ram is a 'bhagoda'
- BJP doesn't know politics based on values
- I want to tell the BJP that you go get your sarpanch to resign then I will understand
- BJP, Congress has looted this country to no end for so many years
- Some media has been proclaiming that Narendra Modi has done a lot of development in Gujarat
- Media proclaiming that if Modi becomes the PM then he will ensure the country sees development the way Gujarat has seen
- For me a party is not important, the country is
- If Modi was really into development, I would be standing by him
- The things I have seen in Gujarat, it is important to stand up against him
- He is doing the same things that Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh has been doing for so many years
- Narendra Modi has finished all subsidies
- 5874 farmers have committed suicide in Gujarat till now
- I want to tell the farmers in Varanasi please don't vote for Narendra Modi
- If you vote for Modi, you won't be able to retain your land and will be forced to commit suicide
- Modi has decided if his sarkar wins in these elections then Walmart will come to this country, FDI in retail will be applied
- Elections haven't even finished and Modi has already made decisions like this
- Congress, BJP both want to bring in FDI, then what is the difference between these two parties?
- If you vote for Modi, small-scale industries and traders won't survive here
- Congress, BJP both want small-scale industries to be taken over in this country
- I have come to speak to families, housewives in Varanasi
- If you vote for these parties, your salaries won't increase but inflation will surely increase... electricity, food prices will increase many folds
- Gujarat has no Opposition. That is why Modi has been winning for three consecutive terms. Not because of development, people in Gujarat have no alternative
- Modi has told me I'm not married, I don't have a family. Then why will I want to earn money? Why will I want to dwell in corruption?
- The amount my wife looks after me, nobody does
- I'm a diabetes patient, she looks after me
- If I ever do something wrong, my wife stops me
- My children have never pushed me towards doing something wrong
- It's wrong to say and believe that our families influence us to do something wrong and become corrupt
- BJP and Modi have become greedy. They're willing to do anything to get 272 seats
- Modi is so desperate to become the PM, he is ready to go to any extent
- Modi has joined hands with MNS, Shiv Sena
- People of Bihar, UP were beaten badly by MNS workers
- The next time these people are again beaten by MNS workers there, will Modi be ready to break his alliance with them and take action?
- If Modi becomes the PM tomorrow, who will be part of his cabinet? Amit Shah will be his Home Minister, BS Yeddyurappa will be his telecom minister
- Still if people want to give Modi a chance, please remember you are also giving a chance to Ram Vilas Paswan, Yeddyurappa
- If UPA, NDA is defeated this time, this country will see a new revolution
- If we defeat UPA's shehenshah Rahul Gandhi, NDA's shehenshah Narendra Modi then both these armies will be destroyed
- Uproot these parties and throw them, raise your voices
- Someone from 120 crore population will become the PM
- Amethi and Varanasi will decide the fate of this country
- It is God's miracle that a party which has newly formed won 28 seats in Delhi
- The way God has started using the broom, I want you all also to start using the broom
- I want to ask you all, should i contest these elections against Narendra Modi from Varanasi?
- But I don't have the power of money, you all should know that
- I will come to you to ask for money
- We will contest these elections with your money
- Whoever is seeing and hearing me today, I want you all to take one month leave and come to Varanasi and Amethi
- I invite Modi here for a debate
- I will contest these elections against Modi from Varanasi
- I want him to come here and have a debate in the open
- He doesn't speak to anyone, comes by helicopters, holds a rally and leaves by helicopter
- He has to come here and talk to the people of this country
- And if Modi doesn't come then you all should realize that Modi is surely hiding something
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