MANDI: Amid  “Himachal Maange Kejrival” slogan,  Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched an impressive road show from historic Victoria Bridge to the Seri Manch in this temple town  here,  making a clarion call to eradicate corruption from this tiny Himalayan state.

The road show started amid the beats of traditional pahari dhols and drums and shenai.  Kejriwal's  motorcade  passed through the congested Bazaar before it arrived at the Seri Manch, a platform for the political rallies  and cultural  shows in Mandi.  He  declared  AAP is now determined to eliminate corruption from Himachal Pradesh. “My younger brother Bhagwant Mann eliminated corruption from Punjab in a record 20 days”, he claimed. 

In a short crisp speech Kejrival said, “AAP government has made Delhi corruption-Mukt. The government  schools and hospitals compete with the best in Delhi. “We do not know politics, but we know  how to govern, work and eradicate   corruption”, he said.

AAP chose Himachal Maange Kejriwal catchy slogan, cloned from the war cry, 'Yeh Dil Maange More"  of Paramvir Chakra soldier Capt Vikram Batra, a Kargil war hero,  who hailed from Palampur, who had made a crucial turning point by capturing the Tiger hills and other key points in the 1999 Kargil war. Incidentally  AAP had fielded Batra's mother, Chandra Kanta Batra  in 2014 Lok Sabha Polls, but  could not win and AAP could get about  2 per cent votes then.   

But in the changed political milieu, AAP has emerged as a big political force in Punjab and Delhi in the region. AAP had targetted  Uttarakhand as well, but there also it could not make much difference.  Will it create history in Himachal as well.   

 “Does Himachal want change and eliminate corruption like we have done in Delhi?”, Kejriwal asked from the responding crowds that chocked the temple town to its capacity. The answer was: YES.  “After Delhi and Punjab, now people of Himachal will make it possible it here now”, he asserted.

Kejriwal kept AAP road show short and pointed. Contrary to the reports that some big BJP and Congress leaders might join AAP ahead of state assembly elections, there was almost no leaders from the BJP and Congress except commoners who joined the show here today. “We are small people and aam aadmi like all of you assembled here. We never expected people from Himachal will come here in such huge number to convey the message  in Himachal”, Kejriwal said, enchanting Bharat Mata ki Jai. “We do not know politics, but we know Desh Bhakti and how to work and eradicate corruption from Public life”, he asserted with the crowd enchanting Himachal Maange Kejriwal.     

Mann also kept his guns and satire straight and crisp.    He urged people of Himachal to support AAP and change the government in the state.

Kejriwal made a crucial political cut as a third alternative to the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress- the two rival parties playing “hide and seek” show ever since Himachal was born in 1971. Much will depend on how party grows up among aam aadmi in Himachal in days to come. “AAP appears to be  conscious this time that the fledging party does not become a dumping ground for the “some disgruntled and spent bullets from the Congress and BJP”.   AAP tried Rajan Sushant, a maverick neta and a former BJP MP from Kangra, but he failed to make any  difference to AAP's  fortunes in Kangra,  let alone  entire Himachal Pradesh. 

AAP workers and people have begun rallying  behind Kejrival and Mann. They together have recently created a “revolutionary history” in the Punjab showing the bigwigs of Congress, BJP and SAD patriarchs the door.

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain has been camping in Mandi and Dharamshala and was in touch with the Congress and BJP leaders. The talks of Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia, a fire brand leader from Kangra  being made as an AAP Face in Himachal for the coming elections has been doing the rounds on social media for quite sometime, but Major is learnt have first sorted out certain key points with Kejriwal.  Another thing is that age is not his side as AAP is looking for a younger leader who has energy, who can strike chord with the youth, babudom and  hill folks.  

The coming days will be interesting as to which side the wind blows. Whether AAP keeps nurturing its cadre for the Aam aadmi of the state as it did it in Punjab or it allows Congress and BJP elements to take better off  the party to take a call on the coming assembly elections. Only the time will tell. But one thing is clear:  Kejrival is scouting for a "Mann Like figure in Himachal", who can lead party  and attract common people to the party fold to win seats in the state assembly and in the Shimla Municipal corporation elections.  

Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor, Himabu Mail)