With the Election Commission declaring the dates of Delhi Assembly elections, the die is cast for a humdinger of a poll. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government led by Arvind Kejriwal is expecting to reap rich dividends on the basis of its performance and the works done in various fields, whereas its main political rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come out with all guns blazing to corner Kejriwal.
The AAP and the BJP are locked in tussle on the issue of regularisation of 1,734 illegal colonies. BJP leaders are painting the town red with the posters and hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having passed a Bill in Parliament to provide ownership rights to the people living in these colonies. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri handed over registry papers to 20 persons.
The AAP has been quick to punch holes in the claims of the BJP Government. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders have targeted the Centre alleging that the BJP befooled the people of Delhi as the registry of properties in the “unauthorised colonies has not started yet.” The AAP claimed to have carried out developmental works in all the listed unauthorised colonies from laying sewer lines to building roads and other amenities.
AAP convener and its main face Kejriwal on Monday addressed the media and said the AAP will fight Delhi Assembly election on basis of its work. He appealed to the people of Delhi to “vote for us (AAP) only if you think we have done good work in the last five years”. The AAP’s poll campaign has listed its notable performances in the fields of education, health, transport, free power and water and women safety.
Reacting to Kejriwal’s statement, Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah claimed that people of Delhi will defeat the AAP Government which has misled everyone for 5 years and the BJP will form a Government on the policies of Modi.
The Assembly elections in Delhi will be fought on the basis of performance, and not “lies and hollow talks”,
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday after the EC announced the poll dates.
Shah said the people of Delhi are still looking for free Wi-Fi, 15 lakh CCTV cameras, new colleges and hospitals, as promised by the AAP Government.
Delhi BJP leaders said they will seek votes on the failures of the AAP Government as it did nothing for the first four years and blamed the Centre and the Lieutenant Governor for not letting them function.
“Having realised that time was running out, AAP Government started doling out freebies to divert peoples’ attention from the core issues of regularisation of unauthorized colonies. Kejriwal Government has been cheating the people in the name of free power-water, wi-fi etc. and when people raised questions to him then he tried to mislead them by making new announcements. This Government compelled the people to drink poisonous water and breathe toxic air but now the falsehood of Kejriwal has been exposed. Kejriwal and his Ministers also tried to instigate violence and vitiate the atmosphere but BJP did not allow them to succeed”, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said.
Delhi BJP Assembly poll in-charge Javadekar attacked AAP supremo and Kejriwal, saying his “lies” were exposed and people have seen his “real face”. “BJP will provide a Triple Engine Government by winning Assembly Elections in Delhi. After forming Government BJP will add new dimensions to development of Delhi because the tenure of Kejriwal Government will come to an end on February 11 next, that created obstruction in Delhi”.