Uttarakhand Assembly Election 2022: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared its Chief Minister candidate for the Uttarakhand Assembly Elections. AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced Colonel (Retd) Ajay Kothiyal as the Chief Ministerial candidate for Uttarakhand. Kejriwal made this announcement during his visit to Dehradun on Tuesday.
Arvind Kejriwal said that "Ajay Kothiyal should be nominated as the CM candidate of Aam Aadmi Party. He is the man, who served the country by joining the army. He fought against Pakistan and terrorists by risking his life. The people of Uttarakhand need such a patriot.''
Kejriwal further said, "We are nominating Col Ajay as he knows what it takes to serve the nation and its people, he has been protecting us from the enemy on the border for all these years and now it is time that he serves people by being with them."
Kejriwal also told the people of Uttarakhand that the Aam Aadmi Party will develop the state as a spiritual capital for Indians staying across the world. It will also provide employment to youth.
During his last visit to Uttarakhand, Kejriwal had announced that every household in Uttarakhand would receive up to 300 units of free electricity per month. The AAP leader had also promised to waive all old electricity bills if the party forms the government next year. He had also announced free electricity for agriculture purposes and zero power outages in the state.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had, meanwhile, announced free power to households for the first 100 units per month and 50 per cent subsidy on usage above 100 units.
Who is (retd) Col Ajay Kothiyal?
Colonel (retd) Kothiyal is an Indian army veteran and the former principal of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi.
Kothiyal joined Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party on April 20.
He is also well known for his work in the aftermath of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster.
Now, he manages an institute that trains and motivates local youths to join the armed forces.