Aug 31 – On August 30, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s chief national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, lobbied for Arvind Kejriwal as the opposition INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate.
However, Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi confirmed subsequently that the Chief Minister has no such ambitions.
According to Kakkar, Kejriwal has established a model as Delhi’s Chief Minister that can help the entire country.
These comments came a day before the INDIA alliance summit in Mumbai, when opposition leaders are supposed to establish a cohesive campaign strategy to confront the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and iron out any disputes.
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“He has given a model that benefits the people. I would want it to happen (for Kejriwal to be the prime ministerial candidate), but the decision is not in my hands,” the AAP’s chief spokesperson said.
Gopal Rai, AAP’s Delhi convener and Environment Minister, stated that while every member of the party wants Kejriwal to be the prime ministerial candidate, and “every party wants their leader to become prime minister,” the final decision would be decided by all INDIA bloc members.
“All members of the INDIA alliance will sit down and whatever the decision is, we will go accordingly,” Rai said
However, another AAP member, Atishi, stated that Kejriwal is not actively seeking the role of prime minister.
In response to Kakkar’s comments, which she described as “personal views,” the Delhi Cabinet Minister stated, “I am making it official that Arvind Kejriwal is not in the race to become Prime Minister of the country.”
“He has joined the INDIA bloc to save the Constitution, democracy, and the country,” Atishi said.
Manish Sisodia, the senior leader of the AAP and then-deputy chief minister of Delhi, stated his support for Kejriwal as prime minister in an interview with PTI last year.
He claimed that “One chance for Kejriwal” had become a national matter of debate.
According to Sisodia, “people” see Kejriwal as a potential “alternative to (Narendra) Modi in 2024 because” of his emphasis on healthcare, education, and employment.
