Salient points of BJP, Aam Aadmi and Congress manifestos

The absence of BJP's total silence on the issue of statehood for Delhi was the most interesting aspect

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday unveiled its vision document for the Delhi Assembly elections.

The Congress, too, released the second part of its manifesto. The first part was released last week. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had released its 70-point plan for Delhi on Saturday.

All the three parties have showcased their achievements and made a slew of promises. The BJP has talked about how the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre has taken several measures since May 2014 for Delhi’s development. A BJP government in Delhi will mean more cooperation and less confrontation not just with the Union government but also the neighbouring governments, like BJP-ruled Haryana, it said. (MANIFESTOS WATCH)

The Congress manifesto has much on its achievements in its 15-year rule in Delhi, while the AAP had listed its achievements during its 49-day rule in 2014. The BJP was silent on the issue of statehood for Delhi, while its manifesto for the 2013 polls had stated the party will struggle for full statehood. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was at the Centre then. The Congress manifesto, however, has promised to “renew” its demand for full statehood, something it didn’t talk often during the 2008 and 2013 Assembly polls when it was a Congress-led government at the Centre. Key powers related to public order, police and land are out of the Delhi government’s ambit.

All three manifestos talk about regularising Delhi’s unauthorised colonies, home to nearly four million people, approximately a fourth of its 13 million voters.  All three have also promised housing to slum dwellers and increasing the pension to the elderly reducing power tariff and so on.