PANAJI
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wore his bania (trader) hat while delivering an elaborate calculation of how Congress MLAs kept slipping out one by one of the party's grip, citing an experience he had on a recent flight.
"Yesterday, I happened to board a plane. At the time, Congress had three MLAs. When I got down (from the flight) there were two. One had gone away," Kejriwal said, sighting the steady exodus of legislators from Congress since 2017.
"You gave Congress 17 MLAs. There were 17 in the stock. Fifteen got sold. Only two are left. Two are left in the last stock. In March, new stock will arrive, so there is a heavy discount. This is the situation of Congress," Kejriwal said.
"Congress has been emptied. Who is left? Digambar, he too may go to BJP, and Rane," Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Chief Minister has made no bones about his caste credentials as a bania (trader community) during elections in Delhi.
"I am from the trader community and I understand the trade (mayn baniya hun aur dhandha samjhta hun)," Kejriwal had said in 2014 ahead of assembly polls in the national capital.
The Delhi Chief Minister also regaled the audience at a public meeting in the state capital with another anecdote involving flight travel.
"Next to me in the flight, there was one person from Goa. He said that the BJP government in Goa was full of characters. One minister is involved in a sex scandal he had to resign. One more was carrying out scams related to ventilators, oxygen and medicine (purchases), instead of looking after people," Kejriwal said.
"A third minister is taking Rs 20 lakh per job for the youth... There is a matka king in the cabinet. Another MLA issued a Rs 50 crore contract without a tender. Another did a power scam, labour scam, garbage scam," Kejriwal said, adding that the coastal state had witnessed unprecedented corruption over the last two and a half years.
"Goa is a first-class state with third-class politicians. Goa deserves much better politicians," Kejriwal also said.
