Atishi bats for Kejriwal ahead of taking oath as Delhi CM, slams BJP's UP model

New Delhi, Sep 20 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi CM-designate Atishi made a fresh pitch for party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, claiming that only his leadership can enable a "better life and promising future" for Delhiites by ensuring free electricity and water.

She also slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for "burdening" its residents, especially in the NCR region by hiking electricity tariffs and also "interrupting" power supply for long hours.

Addressing a press conference, the CM-designate spoke about long outages in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and said that "long power cuts and expensive electricity is the BJP's model."

"UP government has raised the price of a 5-kilowatt electricity connection, from Rs 7,967 to Rs 17,365. This amounts to an increase of 250 per cent. This is the same BJP government of Uttar Pradesh which imposed eight hours of power cuts in summers. These power cuts were not just in any remote villages but also in metropolitan towns like Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad. So, what is the BJP model of electricity?" she said.

She further said that it's important that the people of Delhi again elect Arvind Kejriwal as their leader and make him the Chief Minister again, otherwise what is happening in Uttar Pradesh will become a norm in the capital too.

"Delhi too will have long power cuts, high power tariffs if Kejriwal is not made CM," she added.

Atishi is set to take oath as Delhi Chief Minister on September 21. Initially, the swearing-in was slated for September 26-27 but got rescheduled at the invitation of Delhi L-G V. K. Saxena.

Atishi also told the press that Arvind Kejriwal will begin a public outreach programme from next Sunday, during which he will meet people and seek their support.

"If the people of Delhi think that Arvind Kejriwal is not guilty and being implicated in a false and motivated case, only then, he would stake a claim for the CM's chair," she added.