Twitter
Advertisement

Arvind Kejriwal out with AAP manifesto

The Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal released the AAP's manifesto for the Delhi Assembly Elections today, putting out a massive if familiar "70 point Action Plan". Addressing the media at New Delhi's Constitution Club, Kejriwal said that the manifesto had been put together over four months, by a team headed by party member Ashish Khetan, after talking to people all over Delhi.

Latest News
article-main
Arvind Kejriwal releases his party’s manifesto and 70-point action plan on Saturday
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal released the AAP's manifesto for the Delhi Assembly Elections today, putting out a massive if familiar "70 point Action Plan". Addressing the media at New Delhi's Constitution Club, Kejriwal said that the manifesto had been put together over four months, by a team headed by party member Ashish Khetan, after talking to people all over Delhi.

Flanked by Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, Manish Sisodia, Yogender Yadav and Vandana Kumari, Kejriwal laid out AAP's plan that he claimed encompassed all sections, classes and castes of Delhi's societies. The party seemed to be in a please all mode, making sure no one and no issue got left out of their manifesto, which closely echoed the one from their 2013 Vidhan Sabha campaign.

Till very recently, popular opinion was that AAP was leaving out the Jan Lokpal Bill and Swaraj from their agenda, so as to not alienate any potential alliances post poll. None of their public meetings ever mentioned these.

However, in this manifesto, and in their last Delhi Dialogue, they are prominently spelled out; along with regular promises of controlling electricity rates, providing free and steady water supply, the party also emphasised on women's safety, reforms in trade, education, child welfare, old age care, increasing employment and taking care of government employees, to list a few of the many points on their agenda.

The one lesson the party has learnt from it's tumultuous 49 day governance, is to not put finite deadlines on each promise, asking only for five years to phase things out.

Like the last time, AAP promised to regularise jobs of the contract labourers, a point that has already won them the support of many in the city's teeming labour class.

The manifesto again paid much attention to Delhi's villages, which Kejriwal said all parties forget till they need votes or land. "We will not forcefully acquire anyone's land," said Kejriwal. "We will talk to people, about setting up schools and colleges and stadiums for them. For these things people will happily give us land, which we will acquire at market rates."

"We have also embraced the traders of the city. Most parties treat them like thieves. But by reducing VAT and red tape we will work with the traders and merchants to make Delhi, once again into a trading hub."

To make Delhi a city safe for women he promised around 10-15 lakh CCTV cameras and home guards on each bus, to act as deterrents. Previously he had promised cameras only in FIR rooms.

Free WiFi is the one new point this year, something that has the city's hyper connected youth excited. It's also been tied up with women's safety, as Kejriwal promised to provide "protection buttons" on each woman's phone that would get her help in time. Better connectivity therefore became a safety net. He also called free WiFi, an idea that has got the city's youth excited, basic infrastructure, like water service, which the manifesto promises to make into a citizen's right.

"In five years we will have laid pipelines in all of Delhi so that each household will have water in all it's tops. I cannot promise you a 24 hour supply but at least in this time we will be able to provide around 2 hours of steady supply in every house," said Kejriwal.

The party seems eager to take the BJP central government head on concerning full statehood for Delhi. Kejriwal said that Amit Shah had insulted the people of Delhi by claiming them not ready for statehood.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement