With three parties – AAP, BJP and Congress – in the fray, they are making all kinds promises to attract the voters. The election, which will impact the national politics, has become a battle of nerves in the three-cornered fight
Our Bureau
New Delhi
All eyes are on the Delhi Assembly elections which are going to be held in a single phase on February 5, with counting to be done on February 8. A three-way contest is on the cards in Delhi between the ruling AAP, BJP and Congress. Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got eight seats.
Now, all three parties are leaving no stone unturned to make appeal to the Delhi electorate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched the party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the Delhi assembly elections with a key focus on improving healthcare, empowering women, supporting senior citizens, and ensuring better access to essential services. The party pledged to roll out new schemes and enhance existing ones to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for the people of Delhi.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s National President and Union Minister JP Nadda launched the party’s Delhi Assembly election manifesto on Friday. Among the major promises, the BJP announced a series of welfare initiatives for women, starting with the provision of six nutritional kits and Rs 21,000 in financial assistance under the Matritva Suraksha Yojana to ensure the health and well-being of pregnant women.
Under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, the BJP has proposed monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for women in Delhi, aimed at empowering them economically. To support low-income families, the BJP promised to provide LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to women from such households. The party also committed to offering one free cylinder each on the occasions of Holi and Deepawali.
The manifesto also highlighted the party’s focus on healthcare, with a promise to implement the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Delhi, providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. The state government would add another Rs 5 lakh cover for low-income households, ensuring comprehensive medical care.
For senior citizens, the BJP promised to introduce several initiatives, including free OPD and diagnostic services for all individuals aged 70 and above. Additionally, the party will provide Rs 10 lakh health cover and increase the Senior Citizen’s Pension from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 for those aged 60-70.
In a step towards improving the quality of life in underserved areas, the BJP proposed the launch of Atal Canteens in JJ clusters to provide nutritious meals for just Rs 5.
The BJP also reassured that once in power, the party would continue existing welfare schemes while making them more efficient and transparent, eliminating corruption from the process. These initiatives aim to enhance the welfare of Delhi’s residents, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable groups, signalling the BJP’s commitment to social welfare and development in the national capital.
“After forming the govt in Delhi, we will implement the Central government’s Ayushman Bharat for 51 lakh people, who were deprived of its benefits under AAP, in the first Cabinet meeting. Besides, we will provide additional cover of Rs 5 lakh,” he added.
Nadda has called the manifesto a ‘foundation for a developed Delhi,’ expressing confidence in winning the upcoming assembly election national president said that the ‘Sankalp Patra’ has been made after receiving mass feedback after holding thousands of meetings and getting ideas from constituents. “We have received approximately 1 lakh 80 thousand feedbacks. Discussions were held through 12 thousand small and big meetings and ideas were collected through 41 LED Vans,” he said while addressing a press conference.
Nadda further hit out at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying that a BJP government will investigate AAP’s alleged corruption.
Calling it ‘AAPda’s track record, he added, “Let me shed some light on AAPda’s track record. They promised to give Rs 2100 per month in 2021. They neither gave it here in Delhi nor Punjab. In 2024, they promised to give Rs 1000 per month. As expected, they did not provide it here in Delhi or Punjab. They failed to give subsidy on LPG.”
But senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and candidate from Jangpura assembly constituency Manish Sisodia launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday, saying that the latter is not even confident of presenting a Chief Minister candidate. He also hit back at the BJP with a jibe over their ‘AAPda’ (calamity) attack and said his party is clearly an “AAPda” (calamity) for them.
“There is an ‘Aapda’ in front of the BJP regarding who is credible enough to be put up against Arvind Kejriwal, there is no one…what will they give Delhi? In Haryana and UP, it is your govt, tell us if you have improved the schools there,” Sisodia told ANI.
Sisodia’s remarks came shortly after BJP national president JP Nadda released their manifesto and called AAP an ‘AAPda’ (calamity) for not implementing any of the promised schemes in the national capital. Being asked about the pollution in the national capital, the senior AAP leader said that the “Delhi government has done its job” but neighboring states such as Uttar Pradesh have not.
He further implored for pollution to be seen as an issue of “whole of north India” and criticized the central government for “not doing enough” to mitigate pollution.
Similarly, on the cleaning of the Yamuna, Sisodia mentioned that he appreciates Kejriwal being honest about the river’s health.
“I appreciate and follow Kejriwal as a leader and one thing I like about him is that, when he promises to deliver something, he doesn’t later call it ‘Jumla’. Unlike Amit Shah who once came and said what PM said regarding Rs 15 lakhs, was a ‘Jumla’, PM said it just like that and they wouldn’t be giving it,” Sisodia mentioned.
As both AAP and Congress party are members of INDIA bloc, it has created an additional friction between the two parties. Manish Sisodia said on Friday that he is not looking at the future of INDIA bloc, but instead worrying about the future of Delhi’s children getting a good education. “Alliance, party, and leaders, why are we concerned about the future of all these? Our concern should be what will be the future of children and if they will get a good education or not,” Sisodia said.
“It doesn’t matter what is the future of INDIA alliance, but important is what will be the future of children of Delhi and only Kejriwal can help the children of Delhi with their future. Only Arvind Kejriwal can save the future of the people of Delhi. Our fight is for the future of people,” the AAP leader added.
His remarks come amidst both AAP and Congress, who are alliance partners, deciding to contest the assembly election on their own. Bharatiya Janata Party has questioned the stability of the opposition alliance, calling it ‘scattered.’ Subsequently, Congress has expressed that the parties are still together.
On behalf of the Congress party, Sandeep Dikshit on Friday, criticized AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal for a 50% metro concession in Delhi Metro, calling it an “irresponsible” move.
Dikshit, in a statement, questioned why AAP had not implemented the 50% concession themselves, despite previously making similar promises. “They (AAP) said this earlier also… Why don’t they give 50% (concession) themselves?” he remarked.
Dikshit alleged that AAP was making false promises without having the financial capacity to fulfil them and would later blame the central government for not allowing them to work. “They are making false promises but they don’t have money. Then they will blame the central government that they did not let AAP work..,” he said.
Earlier, Kejriwal mentioned his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposing that a 50 per cent concession must be given to students who commute in Delhi Metro.
Meanwhile, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to meet patients waiting for treatment. He also interacted with them and listened to their problems. Govind Lal, a patient said, “He asked me about my stay here. He also asked about the treatment of my daughters.”
In a post on X, Congress said, “Waiting for months for treatment, inconvenience and insensitivity of the government – this is the reality of Delhi AIIMS today. The situation is such that people who have come from far-off places bearing the burden of illness of their loved ones are forced to sleep on footpaths and subways in this cold.”
The Congress leader attacked both the BJP and AAP for the neglect of ordinary people.
As the election comes closer, all three parties are positioning themselves as the party of ordinary people with a bunch of promises, ranging from development to freebies.
