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Delhi Assembly Election 2020: AAP manifesto will look beyond education, health
Delhi Assembly Election 2020: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is unlikely to release a 70-point manifesto but will keep it crisp. It will focus on pollution, traffic, water, cleanliness.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) believes that if it can get re-elected to the city government, it will cement its position in the capital’s politics. To do this, the party is of the opinion that it must address some of the most pressing issues of Delhiites, moving beyond education and health for which it had set aside most of its annual budget during its tenure.
For the elections slated for February 8, the party will look to address air pollution, traffic, tap water, cleanliness and the Yamuna. The party is also planning to go big on addressing the issues of those living in slums and JJ clusters, including the expansion of its in-situ rehabilitation project.
On Tuesday, the party formed a special committee to draft its poll manifesto, which will be released by the chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal between January 15 and 20.
In the 2015 assembly elections, the AAP had a 70-point manifesto that was prepared after holding a referendum in each of the 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi. The document included promises of providing free water up to 20,000 litres, subsidising electricity up to 400 units, providing free wi-fi connectivity and setting up mohalla clinics in every nook and cranny of the city.
While chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has maintained that a majority of the 70 promises made by the AAP during the 2015 elections have been fulfilled, the party is now looking at moving beyond the sectors of health and education where it feels the Delhi government has made a mark.
Jasmine Shah, a member of the AAP’s newly formed manifesto committee, said the agenda for the party this time will be to find lasting solutions to problems “typical” to Delhi. “Pollution will be talked about in a big way in the manifesto. Apart from bringing in more buses including electric and luxury or premium buses, we will attempt at fixing last mile connectivity. The target will be curbing vehicular pollution for which we are in talks with experts. These will be included in the party’s manifesto,” he said.
Shah, who is also the vice chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi, said the manifesto is being drafted after taking suggestions from people and experts. “It was a three-tier system of taking feedback and recommendations. One was through the CM’s town halls, then there were around 650 mohalla sabhas and then through door-to-door campaigns,” he said.
With the BJP-ruled Centre alleging, through a BIS survey, that dirty water is being supplied in the national Capital, the AAP, according to senior party leaders, is now working towards allaying fears and concerns of the people.
“That is why providing clean water 24x7 through taps will be included as a manifesto promise. It would also have expansion of the project where people will get drinking water directly from taps day and night,” a senior AAP leader said.
In the seven town hall meetings held by Kejriwal over the past two weeks, the AAP chief has often given a hint of what the party’s manifesto would address.
“In the Yamuna, a lot of sewer water and industrial waste flows. We have identified all of it. I can say this with complete confidence that within the next five years, the Yamuna would be clean. Before next elections, you all would be able to take bath in Yamuna, and I will take a dip along with you then. We will clean Yamuna to that level,” Kejriwal had said in his town hall meeting in East Delhi.
In all of the meetings Kejriwal reiterated that schemes such as free water and electricity and free bus rides for women will continue if the party is re-elected. He has also announced that the free bus ride scheme would be extended to students as well – another promise which is likely to find a mention in the AAP’s 2020 manifesto.
Roads will also be a focus area. “Roads at various locations in Delhi need to be redesigned which can bring about a big change in the traffic movement. We have designated a consultant to create a list of the locations in Delhi where there are daily traffic jams. The designated consultant will provide us with a roadmap within 9-10 months on how to solve the problem of traffic congestion in these locations. Work on these stretches will being immediately after that,” the chief minister had said at his town hall meeting in Pitampura.
