Need to win all 13 LS seats to make Punjab 'Rangla', says AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal

Mohali: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched his party's poll campaign in Punjab for the upcoming general elections and accused the BJP of trying to topple the Bhagwant Mann government by approaching its MLAs.

He asked people to ensure his party's victory in all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

"We do not need these seats for ourselves. (These are) to work more for your family and to make your family more prosperous. To make Punjab 'Rangla', we need 13 seats," Kejriwal said.

At the event, the AAP also rolled out the slogan — 'Sansad vich ve Bhagwant Mann, Khushaal Punjab te vadhegi shaan'.

Addressing a gathering here, Kejriwal slammed the Centre for allegedly withholding Rs 8,000 crore of Punjab's funds and accused the BJP of trying to topple the AAP government in the state by approaching its MLAs.

'The Centre has withheld Rs 8,000 crore of Punjab's funds. It is a lot of money. How many schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics could have come up with that fund?' he posed.

Kejriwal hit out at the Centre for rejecting Punjab's tableau at the Republic Day parade. 'How could they reject it.' 'Now they approach MLAs every day in Punjab to topple the state government. They want to topple the government of the people of Punjab,' Kejriwal alleged.

The Delhi chief minister also accused the Centre and the Punjab governor of harassing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann every day.

Kejriwal said there was a time when there was negativity all around in Punjab and there was a law and order problem. 'Electricity bills were going up, there were electricity outages, farmers and traders were upset,' Kejriwal said.

'Today, there is positivity all around. Industrialists are returning, they want to open industries here. Youths are getting jobs, Mohalla clinics are coming up', he said, adding, 'But a lot is yet to be done.' 'Elections are coming. There are 13 seats in Punjab and we need all these seats,' he said.