Congress MP Rahul Gandhi announced on Saturday that he and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal will vote for each other’s candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, highlighting the strong alliance between their parties.
During a large rally in Delhi supporting the INDIA bloc candidates, Gandhi stated, "Kejriwal will press the Congress button and I will press the AAP button..." He called on Congress and AAP workers to collaborate to secure victories in all seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital.
Gandhi also issued a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a public debate on key national issues. "I'm ready to debate with PM Modi whenever and wherever he wants, but I'm sure he won't come," he said.
This call for a debate comes after former Supreme Court judges Madan B Lokur and Ajit P Shah, along with senior journalist N Ram, invited both Gandhi and Modi to discuss significant Lok Sabha election issues on a public platform.
Gandhi outlined the questions he would pose to Modi, focusing on crony capitalism, inflation, unemployment, and agricultural concerns. He criticized Modi's economic policies, including GST, demonetization, and the now-scrapped electoral bond scheme, accusing him of favoring wealthy industrialists like Adani and Ambani while neglecting small businesses.
Referring to Delhi as the "Brotherhood Capital," Gandhi emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation for progress. He also promised to simplify GST to support the growth of small and medium businesses, which he believes are crucial for job creation. "You will compete with China. Made in Chandni Chowk will give tough competition," he asserted.
According to the seat-sharing agreement within the INDIA bloc, Congress is fielding candidates in three of Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats, while AAP is contesting the remaining four. The national capital will vote on May 25 in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, with results to be announced on June 4.