Regional parties lack MCD awareness

Regional parties with negligible presence in the Capital’s political scene may be promising the electorate the moon, but their lack of home work on how the MCD functions shows in their manifestoes. Hamari Jamatia reports.

Regional parties with negligible presence in the Capital’s political scene may be promising the electorate the moon, but their lack of home work on how the MCD functions shows in their manifestoes.

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A number of parties such as the Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and National Panthers Party have come up with manifestoes that contain promises that do not fall under MCD’s purview.

Take for instance the Samajwadi Party’s promise to make education free for all students in MCD schools.

The fact is that such a facility already exists. The party manifesto also claims that it has fielded 128 candidates in the polls but the State Election Commission has rejected the papers of its 23 candidates for want of proper documentation.

The manifesto of Panthers Party promises its own version of MGNREGA where they will provide employment to unemployed youth. One of the jobs on their list is of selling vegetables at lower rates. It also promises to construct toilets at railway stations. The party has fielded 18 candidates this time.

The JD(U) has promised to improve water supply, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the Delhi Jal Board comes under the Delhi government. The manifesto of JD(U)'s candidate from Govindpuri, Chander Prakash, says water supply will be increased from once to twice a day.

Undeterred, Sudesh Dogra, the political secretary of Panthers Party, said, if there is a will, the MCD can get even those things done that do not fall under its purview. “Even without a seat in MCD, I have ensured that roads and sewer lines are constructed in my area. So as a party in municipal corporations, we can achieve a lot,” she said.