Delhi Cong manifesto tries to tackle jaded image

In 2008, the Congress had issued provisional regularisation certificates to 1,639 colonies on poll eve benefiting 50 lakh residents

Unlike in 2008, the city’s Congress-led government has refrained from repeating its popular sop on regularisation of unauthorised colonies in this year’s manifesto.

This is in the wake of a scolding by the Delhi Lok Ayukta earlier this month for that earlier decision.

In 2008, the Congress had issued provisional regularisation certificates to 1,639 colonies on poll eve.

The Lok Ayukta had said the issue was pending since 2001 but it was only in 2008 that the certificates were issued. And, that there was no political will to clamp on unauthorised construction.

Says a Congress leader, “This apart, we also realised that the perception that goes out of converting something of illegal status into legal status is also not good. Authorities like the Election Commission also frown on such issues.”   

Apart from this, the party had exulted in 2008 about bringing the Commonwealth Games to Delhi in 2010.

This year’s manifesto is mum on this; fingers were pointed at Delhi government’s role in the corruption and inefficiency unearthed in the run up to the Games.

It was not without reason that the party general secretary in charge of Delhi, Shakeel Ahmed, said at the manifesto’s issue on Wednesday that the manifesto promises had been kept “realistic.”

Also, the Sheila Dikshit government has tried hard to woo hitherto neglected vote banks.

The hundreds of thousands of migrants, for instance; it has promised them housing and better facilities.

After 15 years in power, the Congress government is worried at combating an anti-incumbency mood.