Gujarat: 'If AAP is winning, give your vote for AAP. If any other party is winning, give vote to them. But defeat BJP,' says Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked people in Gujarat to vote for any party which they think can defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in upcoming Assembly elections. "If somewhere the AAP is winning, then give your vote for AAP. If any other party is winning, give the vote to them. But defeat the BJP," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal was speaking at the Aam Aadmi Party's National Conference at the Ramlila Maidan here on the occasion of the AAP's fifth anniversary, which drew participation from 22 states. "I request the people of Gujarat to give your vote to that candidate or party who can defeat the BJP," the Chief Minister said. It was at Ramlila Maidan where the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare started, later giving birth to the AAP in 2012. Party leaders including Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai as well as Bhagwant Mann, an MP from Punjab, spoke on the occasion. Also present were a large number of AAP MLAs from Delhi and Punjab as well as AAP corporators from Delhi. Meanwhile, the Congress released its third list of 76 candidates for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly election, filing of nominations for which ends. The party, which has been seeking to dislodge the BJP from power in the western state, earlier announced the names of 86 candidates in two phases. The party, however, could not finalise the names of its candidates in 20 more seats. Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes released the third list to the media tonight. The list featured at least 11 candidates from Scheduled Tribes and three from Scheduled Caste communities. The Congress has been out of power in the crucial state for over two decades. The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat, having total 182 seats, will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18. Eighty-nine seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region are going to polls in the first phase, while the remaining 93 seats in central and northern region would go for polls in the second phase.