Kejriwal extends offer to Omar for governance tips in a 'half-state' in a dig at Centre

Former Delhi Chief Minister and national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday offered to provide consultation to the designated Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah to run the government of a "half-state".

Kejriwal gave this offer while addressing a victory rally in the mountainous Doda town of Jammu and Kashmir, where AAP candidate Mehraj Malik emerged victorious in a multi-cornered electoral battle for the prestigious Doda seat. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan also addressed the rally.

"Omar Abdullah is going to become the Chief Minister of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. Our party will fully support him to his government successfully in Jammu and Kashmir", AAP convenor said.

"The BJP-led Union Government has made Jammu and Kashmir a 'half-state' like Delhi. If Omar Abdullah has any problem in governance, he can ask me, I have run the government successfully in Delhi", he further said while offering consultations to Omar Abdullah to run a government.

Kejriwal highlighted that Delhi is also considered a 'half-state' because the Chief Minister has limited powers, with more authority resting with the Lieutenant Governor. He shared his experience of running the Delhi government for ten years and offered his assistance to Abdullah.

Dares PM to stop freebies of Delhi government

Challenging the Prime Minister to stop the freebies of the Delhi Government, Kejriwal claimed that the AAP government in Delhi has improved the education sector in the Union Government.

"Over four lakh students, who were studying in the prestigious private schools of Delhi, have shifted to the government schools in Delhi", he claimed and added that the AAP government is providing free education to the people.

Furthermore, he said, the AAP government has improved the health sector. "Apart from the developing world-class hospital, the AAP government in Delhi has opened Mohalla Clinics in which free health facilities are given to all people", he said.

"Prime Minister accused Delhi government of distributing freebies. I challenged the Union Government to stop these freebies", he said.

AAP candidate creates history

AAP candidate Mehraj Malik on the Doda assembly segment created history by winning this seat in the multi-corned contest. Malik won the Doda assembly segment by defeating BJP's Ganjay Singh Rana and other candidates.

Malik defeated Rana by over 4,538 votes besides former ministers Khalid Najib Suharwardy of the National Conference (NC) and Abdul Majid Wani of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party from the Doda assembly segment to become the first member of the AAP to register a win in Jammu and Kashmir.

"AAP is formally supporting the Omar-led government and I hope his government will give Mehraj responsibility so that he can not only work for Doda but provide his services to the people of J&K," said Kejriwal.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that Mehraj had not won in the name of religion but raised basic issues like education, health, and roads.

He stated that AAP aims to develop Doda and Jammu and Kashmir and is committed to introducing a new type of politics focused on improving living standards.

Thanking the voters, Kejriwal said that AAP's historic win would change the situation and history of Jammu and Kashmir over the next decade. He described AAP as a new ideology and type of politics that focuses on education, healthcare, and providing free electricity to the people.