Ahead of MCD polls, AAP govt woos with Chhath fund

The Delhi government may soon set up a separate fund to develop Chhath ghats in the national Capital. 

According to Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai, the fund will be used to develop new temporary and permanent ghats ahead of the annual Chhath puja in the national Capital. It will also ensure the upkeep of ghats along the Yamuna river. 

Political experts said the move is aimed at attracting more votes in the municipal polls as there is a huge chunk of Purvanchali voters in Delhi. An estimated 40 lakh Purvanchalis live in the Capital, and many of them are labourers, vendors, contract workers, and businessmen. 

Chhath is the most important festival for Purvanchalis. After coming in to power in 2015, the Delhi government declared the festival a gazetted holiday. The decision was reportedly taken after an unofficial representation from more than a dozen Purvanchali MLAs in the Assembly.

Earlier, the Delhi government had announced that all Chhath ghats in the national Capital will be turned into permanent structures before celebrations for the 2017 Chhath puja begin. It had also directed its departments to make elaborate arrangements for the festival at nearly 180 ghats in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not the only one looking to woo the Purvanchali voter base. The BJP, too, recently changed its Delhi President, making MP Manoj Tiwari the party’s state head.