AAP releases manifesto, promises full statehood for Delhi (Third Lead)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday released its manifesto for the Feb 7 Delhi assembly elections, promising full statehood for Delhi, making it a trade hub and slashing the power tariff.

The manifesto also promised to enhance women's safety by installing CCTV cameras, set up 20 new colleges, provide clean drinking water at affordable prices and a free Wi-Fi zone, among others.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who released the manifesto, said it was a sacred document for his party akin to the "Gita, Bible, Quran, and Guru Granth Sahib".

Laying out a road map for creating more employment, the former chief minister said: "We wish to make Delhi a trade, tourist, education and service hub. This will help in generating more employment in the city."

Besides, passing Jan Lokpal and Swaraj bills would be a priority of the AAP government. It was over the failure to introduce anti-graft bill in the assembly, that Kejriwal quit as the chief minister Feb 14, 2014.

"We want every woman to feel safe and secure. Over 10 lakh CCTV cameras will be installed across the capital. A security guard will be deployed in every government bus," Kejriwal said.

The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) will audit the books of power companies, he also said.

"Our party has no interest with the power companies unlike other parties. We will restart the auditing of these power companies and the rates will be decided accordingly," he said.

He said the manifesto containing 70-point action plan would be implemented after coming to power as they had done in the earlier rule of 49 days. Power tariff will be reduced by 50 percent, he added.

Taking a dig at the BJP for not coming out with a manifesto, Kejriwal said the BJP was shying away from making any promises as they had not fulfilled any of the promises they made at the time of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

"What to say about fulfilling promises, they (BJP) have not taken any steps in that direction," the AAP leader said.

He added: "BJP had talked of bringing down prices but they are rising unabated. They had also talked of bringing down the rate of electricity charges but the same has been hiked twice since they came to power."

The BJP has announced that it would abstain from releasing a manifesto for the Delhi polls and would instead come up with a "vision document".

He said the BJP's claim that people of Delhi do not want full statehood was wrong.

On former IPS officer Kiran Bedi being projected as the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, Kejriwal said: "Though she (Bedi) won't win...If she wins, she will be reduced to puppet chief minister."

With regard to the Congress, Kejriwal said in its rule of 15 years, the party released three manifestos in which they had made tall claims, but sadly most of their promises were not realised.

Delhi goes to the poll Feb 7 and ballots will be counted Feb 10.