Delhi recognises need for stable, effective govt.: RS Prasad

Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party would form the government in the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi, on Thursday stated that the people of the national capital recognise the need for a stable, effective administration.

"Delhi is the heart of India and the people of Delhi recognise the need for a stable effective government in Delhi: from the point of development, security and greater importance of Delhi as the capital of India," Prasad said, addressing a rally.

"The entire campaign of the BJP was very methodical and the purpose of the campaign was very clear: a stable government and good governance. Governance marked by stability, delivery and development of all," he added.

Prasad further stated that if elected, his party would work for Delhi till the very end of its tenure: a pointed barb at Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who resigned as chief minister after 49 days in power.

"Good governance has been a part of our motto and we always work honestly: we will stick to it till the very end. Nowadays there is a lot of talk of the 'aam aadmi'. Let me give you two examples: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das's father was a worker in Tata Steel, while Haryana Chief Minister's father had worked as a labourer in the fields post-partition. Thus we do not merely talk about the common man, we also integrate him," the minister said.

"We do not indulge in personal enmity, political rivalry has its own place in a democracy and we respect it," he added, in reference to the recent controversy surrounding advertisements that the BJP had published that allegedly targeted Kejriwal.

With less than an hour left for the campaigning to end for the high-voltage Delhi Assembly polls, several surveys have given a slight edge to the Arvind Kejriwal- led AAP and placed the BJP at the second spot.

The elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 7. The counting of votes will take place on February 10.