In a significant announcement ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has announced the Sanjeevani Scheme which promises free medical treatment in government and private hospitals for all senior citizens aged 60 and above, if his party returns to power in the National Capital. If implemented, the scheme could prove to be a game changer in the competitive political landscape and will arguably be one of its kinds in terms of the welfare measures announced by state governments or the Centre.

The pre-poll announcement of the new health scheme can be seen as an effort to secure votes and drum up support for AAP which is eyeing a third consecutive term in power in the capital.

The Sanjeevani Scheme came days after Kejriwal announced the launch of the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna to give monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to women in the city and promised to raise it to Rs 2,100 after the elections.

It is being seen as counter to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which provides financial protection for secondary and tertiary healthcare to economically vulnerable families. Kejriwal’s announcement comes after the face-off between the opposition BJP and the ruling AAP over non-implementation of the Centre’s Aayushmaan Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

Seven BJP MPs moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Delhi government to implement the scheme. It seems apart from other freebies, these two freebies announced by the AAP to counter the anti incumbency factor which has been dented by the corruption charges.

“Today, I am announcing Sanjeevani Yojana for the senior citizens. In this, people above the age of 60 years will get free healthcare,” Kejriwal said.  We will introduce this scheme after Delhi Assembly elections, he added. “There will be no upper limit on the cost of treatment. Registration for this will start in a day or two… AAP workers will come to your home for registration. They will give you a card, keep it safe. It is now our duty to take care of you. You people have worked hard to take the country forward,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said.

Named Sanjeevni, the new scheme will focus on health and financial assistance for elderly people in the national capital. The only eligibility criteria announced so far is the age limit.  The AAP has released the names of its candidates for all 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly.  AAP is seeking a third consecutive full term in Delhi, following its landslide victory in 2020, where it won 62 out of 70 seats. The upcoming elections will serve as a test of the party’s governance model.

The AAP and its leaders have ramped up their outreach to women and elderly voters ahead of the February 2025 Assembly elections.The term of the current assembly in Delhi expires on February 23, 2025.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP and Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the Kejriwal’s announcement calling him ‘a merchant of false dreams’ and stated that the scheme is an ‘election scheme’ ahead of the state assembly polls. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva stated that AAP chief’s announcement today regarding free treatment for those above 60 years of age is yet another election gimmick.

“Before the last Lok Sabha elections and again last week, Kejriwal announced a women samman allowance. During election campaigns, he even collected forms from women and announced this scheme in the 2024-25 budget. However, till now, not a single woman has received a penny,” he said.

Further, Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav said that Kejriwal should first improve the pathetic condition of Government hospitals and the handful of Mohalla Clinics before making such announcements, which are mere election stunts with no intention to fulfil them.