Kejriwal heads to poll-bound Uttarakhand on Sunday

After Punjab, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday is heading to poll-bound Uttarakhand where his party's main poll plank is likely to be free electricity.

AAP has already announced that it will contest all the seats in Uttarakhand where the BJP is hoping to retain power.

BJP has appointed a new Chief Minister, the second one in four months, ahead of the polls to refurbish its diminishing influence in the hill-state.

AAP has made clear its plans for Uttarakhand by raking up the free electricity poll plank, its successful mantra in Delhi, with its activists on Saturday hitting the streets on "expensive power bills". The arrest of Army veteran Col Ajay Kothiyal, who was part of the protest, has also been highlighted by the party in the state, which sends a substantial number of people to the military.

Kejriwal set the tone for his Sunday visit with a tweet, "Uttarakhand generates power and sells it to other states too. Then why is electricity so expensive for the people of Uttarakhand? Delhi does not generate its own electricity, buys it from other states. Still, electricity in Delhi is free. Shouldn't the people of Uttarakhand get free electricity? See you tomorrow in Dehradun."

AAP is planning to contest the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, scheduled for early next year. While it will contest all seats in both Punjab and Uttarakhand, it is to be seen whether it would enter into any alliance in Uttar Pradesh or contest all seats or a limited number.

Electricity will be one of its poll themes in all states and in his late June visit to Punjab, Kejriwal announced that people in Punjab would not need to pay for 300 units of electricity if AAP is voted to power. He also announced that a Sikh would be the Chief Minister if the AAP gets majority, as reluctance to name a Sikh had cost the party dearly in the last elections.

It is also keenly watched whether dissident Congress leader Navjot Singh Siddhu would jump ship and join with Kejriwal ahead of polls if his demands are not accepted by the Congress leadership.

In Uttar Pradesh, AAP is raising issues like Covid-19 handling and the contentious land deals of Ram Temple Trust involving BJP leaders.