NEW DELHI, Jan 27: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday released the party’s manifesto for the Delhi Assembly polls, featuring 15 promises such as Rs 2,100 monthly aid for women, 24-hour clean water, free healthcare for the elderly and a 50 per cent metro fare concession for students.
Kejriwal asserted that the AAP government’s six existing ‘revdis’ (freebies), including free education, healthcare, bus rides for women, water and electricity will continue if the party retains power in the February 5 polls.
He also alleged that the BJP would stop all free schemes of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). As a result, the people of Delhi will have to bear a monthly burden of Rs 25,000, he claimed.
At the launch of the manifesto titled ‘Kejriwal ki Guarantee’, the former Delhi chief minister signed a guarantee card pledging that the AAP will start giving women Rs 2,100 per month as soon as it forms the government in the national capital. “I, Arvind Kejriwal, guarantee that as soon as the Aam Aadmi Party government is formed, I will first start ‘Mahila Samman Rashi Yojana’ for my mothers and sisters,” the guarantee card reads.
The AAP leader took a swipe at the BJP, accusing it of copying AAP’s promise-based governance. “We coined the term ‘guarantee’ first in the country. After us, the BJP stole it, but the difference is, we fulfil our guarantees, and they do not,” he said.
Kejriwal appealed to the voters to press the AAP’s ‘jhadu’ button, associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, on the electronic voting machines and not the BJP’s ‘lotus’ button.
Of the 15 guarantees outlined in the manifesto, Kejriwal promised “robust” job creation for Delhi residents as his first priority. The second guarantee is Rs 2,100 for women while the third is free healthcare for senior citizens under the Sanjeevani Yojana.
The fourth guarantee is to waive outstanding “hiked” water bills, while the fifth is of round-the-clock supply of clean drinking water to every household.
Among other key promises is a commitment to clean the polluted Yamuna River and make Delhi’s roads world-class.
Under the Babasaheb Ambedkar Scholarship Yojana, the AAP has pledged scholarships for Dalit students to study abroad. Male students will also benefit, with free bus rides and a 50 per cent discount on metro fares.
The manifesto further promises Rs 18,000 monthly financial aid to priests and gurudwara granthis and the extension of free electricity and water benefits to tenants.
Additionally, AAP has committed to improving Delhi’s sewage system, issuing ration cards to those left out of the system, and offering financial support to auto and cab drivers.
The party has also promised Rs one lakh for their daughters’ weddings and Rs 10 lakh life insurance and Rs 5 lakh health insurance policies.
Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will also receive funds to hire security guards and address local safety concerns.
Kejriwal emphasised that the AAP’s existing free welfare schemes, which provide benefits worth approximately Rs 25,000 per month to Delhi residents, would continue if the party retains power.
“The BJP has already made it clear that they will stop all these schemes if they come to power. I want to ask the people of Delhi — will you be able to bear the cost if the BJP stops these benefits?” he asked.
The manifesto is being pitched as a reaffirmation of AAP’s governance philosophy, which prioritises welfare and infrastructure improvements.
With the BJP threatening to disrupt the status quo, the upcoming polls are expected to be a high-stakes battle between the two parties. The results of the elections will be announced on February 8.
These elections are being viewed as a referendum on the AAP government’s governance model, which has relied heavily on free welfare schemes. (PTI)
