Delhi poll: BJP to rope in Fadnavis, Khattar, Raghubar Das for campaign

NEW DELHI: To counter AAP's claim of representing the common man, BJP has decided to rope in for campaigning in Delhi the newly-elected chief ministers of Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra who have risen from the grassroots to project them as the "real aam aadmi".

During the party's rally at Ramlila Grounds here yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah were flanked by Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das, seeking a clear mandate for the party to ensure all round development and help create a "new" Delhi.

According to a senior Delhi-BJP leader, the party unit will soon send the three names to central leadership, seeking permission to field the chief ministers for campaigning for the Assembly elections here.

"We have planned to rope in chief ministers of Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra to campaign for the party in the upcoming Assembly elections," the BJP leader said.

He said that during poll campaign, the party will project them as the "real aam aadmi" to garner support of the grassroots, and puncture the claims of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal that he represents the common man.

During yesterday's rally, the Prime Minister had praised the "real aam aadmi" chief ministers of these three states where BJP received a thumping majority in the recently-concluded Assembly elections.

Taking on the AAP and Kejriwal, the BJP president, too, had said that those who call themselves "aam aadmi" should look to these three chief ministers to know the real common man.

"As BJP has not announced its chief ministerial candidate so far, we have to make a foolproof plan to deal with Aam Aadmi Party, which has a stronghold among grassroots, be it those living in unauthorized colonies or e-rickshaws drivers.

"Keeping in mind all these things, we will ask the newly elected CMs to campaigning and we will tell voters about their common background," the BJP leader said.

He noted that if the three chief ministers, who come from humble backgrounds, campaign for the party in the upcoming election, a message will reach the people of Delhi that BJP gives opportunity and responsibilities to the common man.

"Only in BJP, the party workers are given important responsibilities and I, who is the son a laborer, am now the chief minister of Jharkhand," Raghubar Das had said while addressing the rally here yesterday.