IANS/New Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party yesterday released its manifesto for the Delhi assembly elections, promising full statehood for the national capital, increased focus on women’s safety, making the city a trade and service hub to generate more jobs, and slashing the power tariffs.
The manifesto promised to set up 20 new colleges, provide clean drinking water at affordable prices and a free Wi-Fi zone, among others.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) however dismissed the manifesto, saying it was wishful to make new promises when the AAP had never managed to fulfil those made for the 2013 polls.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who released the manifesto, said it was a sacred document for his party.
Laying out a road map for creating more employment, the former chief minister said: “We wish to make Delhi a trade, tourist, education and service hub. This will help in generating more employment in the city.”
This and passing an anti-corruption Jan Lokpal and Swaraj bills would be a priority of the AAP government, he said. It was over the failure to introduce the anti-graft bill in the assembly that Kejriwal quit as the chief minister on February 14, 2014.
Kejriwal said his party would especially focus on the safety of women in the capital.
“We want every woman to feel safe and secure. Over 10 lakh CCTV cameras will be installed across the capital. A security guard will be deployed in every government bus,” Kejriwal said.
He also said that the government auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, would audit the books of power companies.”
“Our party has no interest with the power companies unlike other parties. We will restart the auditing of these power companies and the rates will be decided accordingly,” he said.
Power tariff will be reduced by 50%, he added.
Kejriwal said the manifesto containing 70-point action plan would be implemented after coming to power as his party had done in the earlier rule of 49 days.
He also said VAT (value added tax) would be reduced.
Taking a dig at the BJP for not coming out with a manifesto, Kejriwal said it was shying away from making any promises as they had not fulfilled any of the promises they made at the time of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
The BJP has announced that it would abstain from releasing a manifesto for the Delhi polls and would instead come up with a “vision document.”
Kejriwal said the BJP’s claim that the people of Delhi did not want full statehood was wrong.
On former police officer Kiran Bedi being projected as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, Kejriwal said: “She won’t win... and even if she wins, she will be reduced to a puppet chief minister.”
Referring to the Congress, Kejriwal said in its rule of 15 years, the party released three manifestos in which it had made tall claims, but sadly most of the promises were not realised.
BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman, however, made light of the “non-suggestive” AAP manifesto.
“It is worth noticing that AAP has a new 70-point manifesto when they could not fulfil their last manifesto.”
“Point 38 in AAP manifesto on free wifi is nothing new, the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) is already working on it,” she said.
“In their 49 days of rule, the people who consumed less than 200 units of electricity were also charged bill on higher rates,” she said adding “the AAP has spoken of reducing VAT in manifesto, whereas from April 1, GST (Goods and Service Tax) will take over... maybe they will blame the centre later.”
