Delhi went back by 20 years under AAP govt: Satish Upadhyay

The newly elected BJP leader from Malviya Nagar said that under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP exposed the AAP and people trusted the BJP for change in Delhi

Satish Upadhyay, the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA who defeated three-term AAP MLA Somnath Bharti from Malviya Nagar, speaks to HT about his experience and what lies ahead. Edited excerpts:

Satish Upadhyay said the BJP will continue all the welfare schemes of the previous AAP government. (Satish Upadhyay | Official X account)

The BJP has returned to power after 27 years. Did you expect this landslide victory?

The reasons for BJP’s return is simple – while the entire country was progressing and witnessing rapid development under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, Delhi was not. This gave the people a chance to see the difference. In the last 10 years under the AAP, Delhi went backwards by 20 years. The garbage landfill sites could not be cleared, Yamuna could not be cleaned, and the sanitation services suffered after the AAP came to power in MCD. The roads are also bad, people did get good education, health care services crumbled, people did not get water. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP exposed the AAP and people trusted the BJP for change in Delhi.

What do you think were the reasons for the AAP’s loss?

People understood the corruption of the AAP. They made Delhi the capital of corruption — the excise policy was riddled with corruption. When the people were suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the then chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal was building a Sheesh Mahal. The money of the people was misused by the government. The way the AAP leaders landed in jail due to corruption, they lost their credibility. They cheated the people of Delhi.

BJP has been levelling various allegations of corruption against the AAP. Now that the BJP is in power, what action will they take?

Those who have looted Delhi will have to pay back. Each and every penny will be taken from those who have taken part in corruption. The law will take its own course. We will table the CAG reports and the truth will come out in the open.

What will be the priorities of the BJP government?

First of all, we will clean the Yamuna which is a lifeline for us. The bad roads of Delhi will be recarpeted, the ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojana’ to supply water to all households will be implemented, we will implement PM - Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, people will get subsidies, we will improve sanitation, we will fix corruption in the departments, we will review the Mohalla Clinics where neither doctors nor medicines are available, provide jobs to the youth, and make Delhi a tourist destination, among other things.

Kejriwal said in every public meeting during elections that BJP will discontinue all free schemes of Delhi government.

People did not trust Kejriwal as he lost his credibility because he lies, makes U-turns, and levels baseless allegations. We will continue all the welfare schemes and make them better by rationalising them, and making their delivery more effective.

Who is going to be the next CM of Delhi?

The central leadership of the BJP will take a call on this. I am not the right person to answer this question.