Gujarat: Direct contest between AAP and the BJP, says Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday appealed to the people of poll-bound Gujarat "not to waste their votes" on the Congress and instead vote for the AAP, claiming his party was in a direct contest with the ruling BJP.

Talking to reporters after arriving in Ahmedabad, Mr Kejriwal further claimed that the Congress will get just four-five seats in polls to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly to be held on December 1 and 5.

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years. This time, the Kejriwal-led AAP has been engaged in a high-decibel campaign to project itself as the BJP's main challenger by repeatedly stressing that the Congress is losing ground.

The AAP has already announced the names of its candidates on 178 seats.

He appealed to the Congress's "hardcore voters", who still plan to vote for it, to "not waste their votes" by doing so.

He further claimed there were two types of voters in the state - one who hated the BJP and did not want to vote for it as they were frustrated after 27 years of its "misrule".