‘Absentee CM’, charges Oppn, but Bhagwant Mann fits the bill for AAP’s Gujarat campaign | Political Pulse News,The Indian Express
Punjab CM has been in Gujarat every weekend; AAP sees in him a relentless campaigner, its newest star, a CM 'picked by poll' like Isudan Gadhvi
The Opposition in Punjab has dubbed him an “absentee” CM. But AAP, which has few faces with national recognition, is counting on Mann, a comedian-turned-politician who was an indefatigable campaigner for the party in the Punjab elections, regaling audiences as he held up to 10 rallies a day.
With its campaign slogan “Ek Moko Kejriwalne (one chance to Kejriwal)”, AAP is also projecting Mann as an extension of the kind of administration a Kejriwal-led party government can provide.
Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP’s chief spokesperson in Punjab, said, “For now, Mann is only taking out road shows and addressing meetings on weekends. But after November 20, the party will intensify its campaign in Gujarat.”
However, on the ground, it is contentious how successful AAP’s strategy is, as far as Mann goes. Gujarat has a minuscule Sikh population of roughly 50,000, concentrated in Gandhidham, Lakhpat in Kutch, Vadodara and Surat areas, some of which Mann has covered in his campaign. Apart from this, they are scattered across Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Valsad, Navsari and Vapi.
As per Jasbir Makhija, the former president of the Gurdwara Gobinddham in Ahmedabad: “The Sikh population in Gujarat is not supporting AAP but the BJP.”
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