Photographs: Sahil Salvi
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday took a suburban train in Mumbai as he kicked off his Maharashtra tour, but the ride was far from smooth.
Passengers trying to board the slow local from suburban Andheri to Churchgate were inconvenienced as Kejriwal got into the train along with his senior party colleagues and AAP workers.
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Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Photographs: Sahil Salvi
While a posse of media personnel did manage to board the same compartment as Kejriwal, a protective ring thrown around the AAP leader by his party workers meant there was no interaction with reporters.
Incidentally, the formal media interaction Kejriwal had scheduled in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon has been cancelled.
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Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Photographs: Sahil Salvi
From Andheri, the Kejriwal train contingent made its way to the bustling Churchgate station on the Western line.
When the AAP leader finally reached Churchagate, there was a mad rush with commuters and onlookers jostling for a glimpse of Kejriwal.
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Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Photographs: Sahil Salvi
The AAP, contesting its first Lok Sabha elections, is looking at Mumbai as a major target after Delhi, where it formed a government for little less than two months with outside support from the Congress.
Many people, including some from the media, were almost squeezed in the rush as Kejriwal made his way outside the station to head to a private fundraiser at Nariman Point in South Mumbai.
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Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Photographs: Sahil Salvi
Metal detectors at Churchgate station were toppled in the heavy rush as AAP workers made their way out.
A group of youths showed black flags to Kejriwal as he was leaving the station. They said they did not belong to any organisation but were students who were protesting against Kejriwal's alleged "media management" as seen in a leaked video of him on YouTube in which he appears to tell a news anchor to highlight parts of his interview.
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Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Photographs: Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com
Later in the afternoon, Kejriwal held a private meeting with businessmen at Bajaj Bhavan in South Mumbai.
Highlights of the interaction:
* Primary schools in gujarat are a mess, with five classes held in one room, with just one teacher
* Someone suggested that the central government is like a computer; Modi can become the Operating System while Kejriwal can become the anti-virus
* One of those in the gathering says that like the BJP desk in government offices, you (Kejriwal) also wants funds. AAP leader replies that he is asking for it in a transparent manner and not holding a gun to anyone's head while asking for money
* The only thing Kejriwal liked in Gujarat were the roads, but he claims that they did not go into the villages
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