Rajinder Nagar bypoll: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal holds roadshow, women wave 'jhadoo' from balconies

Strains of 'Rang de Basanti Chola' filled the air and several women and children waved brooms from balconies of their houses as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took part in a roadshow here on Friday evening in Rajinder Nagar ahead of the bypoll.

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AAP candidate for the crucial seat Durgesh Pathak and former party MLA from the constituency and now Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also reached out to the supporters amid cheering from party cadres who lined the streets designated for the event in Regarpura area.

The old to young, men and women, and supporters cutting across social strata, joined the roadshow as Kejriwal urged them to choose 'jhadoo' (broom) if they wanted to see work for development, and "the other party" if they wanted to see 'jhagda' (quarrels)".

AAP supporters wearing party colours, walked along with the convoy, holding posters bearing images of Kejriwal and Pathak and a slogan -- 'Kejriwal ki Sarkar, Kejriwal ka Vidhyak', and raised cheers, joined at many places by local residents, who complimented them by waving brooms from the balconies of their houses.

Huge posters of AAP were also put up on walls of houses or hung from balconies of houses along the roadshow route.

Many male and female supporters carried party flags, now in distinct cobalt blue and mustard yellow pattern, while some walked along the route holding a broom, the symbol of the party, as strains of classic patriotic song 'Rang de Basanti Chola' rent the air.

The Rajinder Nagar bypoll has been necessitated in the wake of Chadha leaving the seat after being elected to the Rajya Sabha recently.

He was the MLA from the Rajinder Nagar Assembly seat, and during Friday's roadshow, acknowledged the greetings of people, accepted flowers, and took selfies with his admirers while riding a black jeep, as he exuded confidence that his party will comfortable win the bye-election.

"People of Delhi are going to get a 1+1 offer. They have got an MP now, and now soon they will get an MLA too from this seat. Out biggest strength is Arvind Kejriwal and BJP has no chance in this contest. AAP will come out triumphant in this bypoll," Chadha told PTI as he moved along with the convoy during the roadshow.

He even chanted 'Rang de Basanti Chola' as the song played on the loudspeaker.

Asked, if water shortage issue will be a major poll plank in this bypoll, he claimed as a Rajinder Nagar MLA, "I had ensured that a large number of such issues were resolved, and Durgesh Pathak will carry forward the development AAP has already done in the constituency".

Surendra Kumar Kansotia, 49, an AAP worker and a resident of Bapa Nagar in Karol Bagh area, who also came to take part in the roadshow, said, "Both Raghav ji and Durgesh ji have their own personalities, and what Raghav ji doesn't have in his personality trait as a leader, will be complemented by Durgesh Ji's aggressive and assertive style of leadership".

AAP leader and Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi also joined the roadshow clad in starch white 'kurta-pyjama' and walked on foot as he greeted cheering people around him with folded hands.

At times, he stopped, walked towards the elderly residents and sought their blessings by touching their feet.

"AAP is going to win this bypoll by a major margin. BJP may be claiming that they will win this seat, but they have nothing to show, what have they done. The AAP has done a politics of development. 'Hamne kaaam kiya hai, aur ye hamari mazbooti hai'," Ravi told PTI.

A group of women AAP supporters, Vidya Bansiwal, Nirmala Rajput, Vinita and Rani Mehra also exuded confidence in the party and hoped for a positive outcome in the bypoll.

Many workers stopped by during the roadshow to take selfies while local residents as young and old watched from the balcony at home or peeped from the corner of windows as they stood behind to catch a glimpse of Kejriwal.

Fourteen candidates are in the fray for the upcoming bypoll to the Rajinder Nagar Assembly seat in Delhi, three from recognised parties -- AAP, BJP and Congress, three of unrecognised parties and eight as independent.

A total of 1,64,698 electors are eligible to cast their vote in the June 23 bye-election.

Of the total number of eligible voters for the bypoll, 92,221 are male, 72,473 female and four belong to the third gender.

Also, 1,899 voters in this assembly seat are in the 18-19 age group, officials of a poll body here had earlier said.