Arvind Kejriwal keeps door ajar for alliance with SSM in Punjab Assembly elections

Chandigarh, January 12

A supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said a poll alliance with the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political outfit of farmers, could not be forged because of the disagreement on seat-sharing.

Kejriwal, who was here to launch the party’s door-to-door campaign at Kharar, also said the party’s CM candidate would be announced next week. He said the alliance with the SSM did not fructify as it demanded 60 seats. “We had already announced candidates for 90 seats by then. We told them they could take 10-15 seats, but they did not agree,” he said. The aim of AAP and SSM was the same – the welfare of Punjab, he added. This statement is significant considering a speculation about the two sides looking at a post-poll alliance.

Admitting farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal met him over the ticket sale charges, the Delhi CM said: “I request Rajewal if he has any solid proof of corrupt practices in AAP, he should take it to the public. If found true, I will hand over the guilty to the police. I will not allow party ticket to be sold.” He claimed nearly 25 Congress MLAs had approached him, requesting to be inducted into AAP. “But I refused to accept ‘Congress ka kuda’,” he quipped. — TNS