Kejriwal promises Rs 10,000 monthly salary for sarpanches if voted to power in Gujarat

In yet another attempt to woo voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday promised monthly salary of Rs 10,000 to sarpanches and Rs 20,000 to village computer entrepreneurs (VCE) if the party is voted to power.

Announcing his "pre-election promises" at a town hall in Surendranagar district on the last day of this two-day Gujarat visit, Kejriwal also said that if AAP were voted to power, it will provide Rs 10 lakh grant to every panchayat so that they don't have to be dependent on local legislators or district development officers for funds.

"A sarpanch is a respected leader to whom the villagers come for various work but the sarpanch barley has any funds. They have to seek money from local MLAs and DDOs who seek commission for releasing funds. This practice has to end and that's why if you elect AAP government you will be given salary from February 28," AAP's national convener promised to the packed audience.

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Defending his promises of "freebies", the Delhi Chief Minister attacked the BJP claiming that the ruling party has done nothing for the people in the past 27 years of its rule except "humiliating and disrespecting them." He added, "AAP government will make your electricity bill zero and it will be available round the clock."

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal also launched the party's door-to-door election campaign in Rajkot along with his party members. During the campaign, the party will be distributing "Guarantee cards" highlighting party's promises of 300 units of free electricity, Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment allowance, Rs 1,000 monthly allowance to women, among others.

Meanwhile, BJP MP and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national president Tejasvi Surya terming Kejriwal as the "biggest U-turn leader", said that "youths of Gujarat will not spare an inch of space to Revdi (freebies) politics and bevdi (drunk) politics of AAP." Addressing a press conference in Rajkot, the Bengaluru South MP claimed that AAP's politics lacked "credibility."