Rajasthan polls: vote for change, not just to defeat BJP, Kejriwal tells Jaipur rally

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister and national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, on Sunday asked Rajasthan’s voters to back real change in the coming assembly election rather than merely vote out the ruling party. He was speaking at a rally at Jaipur’s Ramlila Maidan.

Breaking the cycle

Kejriwal said the Congress and the BJP had taken turns to govern Rajasthan, each for five years. When people saw no work under one party, he said, they voted for the other, and the defeated party returned to power five years later. Delhi had followed the same pattern until voters chose the AAP three years ago, he said, claiming his government had achieved in three years what the BJP and Congress could not in 70.

Claims about Delhi

Kejriwal claimed infrastructure and teaching standards had improved in Delhi’s government schools, with their pass percentage now 10% higher than that of private schools. He said his government had stopped private schools from raising fees for three years, cut electricity bills by 50%, supplied free drinking water and offered free tests and treatment in government hospitals. He also said farmers had received Rs 20,000 per acre for crop damage, and families of martyrs were given Rs 1 crore along with government jobs for young people.

Attack on crop insurance

Kejriwal called for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to be scrapped and farmers compensated directly for crop losses, as in Delhi. He accused the Centre of cheating farmers, saying premiums were deducted automatically but farmers did not receive even 25 paise when crops failed. He called the scheme a “BJP dakait yojana” (BJP dacoity scheme).

Farmers were sinking into debt, he said, because production cost Rs 1,200 per hectare while they earned Rs 1,000. He claimed Narendra Modi had promised that if production cost Rs 1,200, his government would ensure Rs 1,800.

What happened next

In the December 2018 election, Congress won 99 of the 199 seats that voted, the BJP 73, and Ashok Gehlot became Chief Minister.

See also: Elections

Originally published on 29 October 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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