The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday released another manifesto for next week’s Delhi election, promising free travel on the city’s public buses and a 50 per cent discount on Metro fares for all school and college students. Party boss and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a long list of 15 assurances, or ‘Kejriwal ki guarantees’ – a spin on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Modi ki guarantees’.That list included promises made earlier, such as last month’s offer of Rs 2,100 in direct cash transfers to eligible women beneficiaries if the AAP is voted to power. “This is for empowering women and addressing their financial need…” Mr Kejriwal had said then, as he also promised to extend free bus travel (and concessions on Metro fares) for women to female students too.
“Today, we are announcing 15 ‘Kejriwal ki guarantees’, which will be fulfilled in the next five years. The first is the guarantee of employment. Second – the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ which will give Rs 2,100 per month to every woman. Third – Sanjeevani scheme for medical treatment.”
The other promises included an assurance that incorrect water bills will be waived.
Kejriwal also re-assured residents the AAP, if re-elected, will “ensure the cleaning of the Yamuna, 24-hour drinking water supply for all houses, and make European-standard roads”.
These, he admitted, had been promised before the last election – in 2020 – but had not been completed; Mr Kejriwal blamed the pandemic and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘targeting’ of himself and senior AAP leaders, like former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, for the delay.