Talking more, working less will lead to Bihar-like situations: Kejriwal

Kejriwal also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying unlike his monthly radio programme, the Aam Aadmi Party government speaks the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of the common man.

“Our government gives less speeches and works more. There are few parties which speak more and work less. 

They face Bihar-like situations. We speak your ‘mann ki baat’, not our ‘mann ki baat’,” Kejriwal said.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the city’s first ‘Polyclinic’ in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar constituency.

On Sunday, Kejriwal termed the Bihar poll verdict a referendum against the Modi government and hoped that after these results, the Centre’s interference in Delhi and other states will end.

Kejriwal had supported Nitish on his ‘clean image’ while tiptoeing around his ally RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He had invited Nitish in an event organized by the Delhi government in September that was attended by the Poorvanchali diaspora in the national capital in large numbers and set the tone for the upcoming Bihar polls. 

In what was to be a cultural and non-political event turned out to be a mini-rally with both Kejriwal and Nitish making politically charged speeches. The duo came together and made common ground against BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Weeks later Kejriwal too visited Bihar for an event organized by Nitish’s government. 

The events, though sent out clear signals of a brewing bonhomie, were not formalized with overt support for the Grand Alliance as the AAP as well as Kejriwal refused to get embroiled in a controversy by backing Nitish’s tainted ally Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Even before the polling started, Kejriwal had said that according to his information, Nitish would win and continued to express his support for Nitish repeatedly on social media. Kejriwal and Nitish had together raised their voice against the Center’s alleged interference in the jurisdiction of state governments, particularly those led by non-BJP parties. 

In a Chief Ministers’ conclave on cooperative federalism, Kejriwal found support not only from Nitish but also West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tripura CM Manik Sarkar. Viewing BJP’s defeat as the collective victory of these voices of dissent, Kejriwal said: “The way the Centre has been illegitimately and unconstitutionally encroaching on Delhi, we hope that will come to an end. 

The whole country was watching how the Center was repeatedly encroaching on the jurisdiction of an elected government in Delhi. We hope the Center will also stop interfering in other states.”