Yet again parties promise Delhi the moon

Political parties are going all out to impress Delhi's voters ahead of the December 4 assembly polls

With less than a week to go for the Delhi elections, one thing has become clear: the contest will be a genuinely three-cornered one. The incumbent Congress party is seeking a fourth straight term in power, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to ride an anti-incumbency wave, and the nascent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is giving jitters to the Congress and the BJP.
 

Several opinion polls suggest that the AAP has struck a chord among both the poor and middle class, despite being barely a year old. The party’s debut is riding on its anti-corruption theme and appeal to “give an honest party” a chance. The elections will be held on December 4.

In October, a survey by ABP News and AC Nielsen predicted 18 seats for the AAP in the 70-member Assembly. The numbers came down to 10 in a survey earlier this month after the sting that party leaders have dismissed as bogus.

Sheila Dikshit, who has been the Chief Minister for three consecutive terms beginning 1998, does not feel threatened by the new entrant. The Delhi CM said that the Congress would form the next government on its own without any alliance (with any other party). There is, however, a distinct feeling of disappointment among poor voters because of high prices of essential items, and there lies the reason for the Congress’s worry.

At present, the BJP seems more worried as it fears the AAP will split anti-incumbency votes and ruin its chances. The saffron party projected Harshvardhan as its chief ministerial candidate in view of Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign against corruption that appears to have attracted voters. The leadership tussle in the state BJP is likely to cast a shadow on the party’s poll prospects in a state it hopes to wrest after 15 years.

However, the parties have one thing in common: an emphasis on expanding free or subsidised civic amenities. The ruling party promises to deliver a larger amount of cheap water than before, the AAP vows to reduce electricity prices by 50% and the BJP claims that if voted to power they will increase subsidised LPG cylinders from present nine to 12.

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Here’s how their manifestos stack up
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. ELECTRICITY
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AAP: promises to reduce prices by 50%

BJP: pledges to cut prices by 30%

Congress: no mention about prices, but promises to set up fast track grievance cells to hear complaints about electricity bills

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. WATER
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AAP: proposes 700 litres of free water per day per family

BJP: promises water supply to every colony. Emphasis on recycling of water

Congress: pledges to extend its subsidy from 30 kiloliters per month to 40 kiloliters

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. CORRUPTION
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AAP:  promises to bring in the Jan Lokpal, or an anti-corruption ombudsman, within 15 days by calling an open session of Delhi assembly on December 29

BJP: suggests Lokayukta will be made effective by assigning “sufficient powers”

Congress:  doesn’t make any new promises on this issue. Helplines would be set up for reporting corruption cases and public grievance cell shall be established in government offices for redressal of grievances in a time-bound manner
 

All parties stress on e-governance. The BJP promises to put all tenders online while the Congress pledges a “smart city” by bringing 90% of government services under computerized governance. The AAP speaks of using more technology and better communication tools to reduce opportunities for corruption.

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. TRANSPORT
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AAP: promises large scale expansion of bus services as well as Delhi Metro trains

BJP: pledges an integrated transport system for the benefit of commuters in NCR areas of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Rohtak, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad and Noida. Multi-level Metro trains in densely populated areas

Congress: vows to bring trams and monorails
 

All parties agree on rapidly expanding Metro services

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. SECURITY
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AAP: favours citizen security force. Vows to set up a new security force run by retired members of India’s armed forces, and says it will install closed circuit television cameras in every police station so that police do not ignore complaints by women

BJP: round-the-clock helpline for women in distress and creation of women security force. Helpline for students from the Northeast

Congress: reiterates earlier promises of providing special training to the police force in dealing with crimes against women and increasing the number of women officers

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. EDUCATION
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AAP: rolling back the four year undergraduate programme run by Delhi University

BJP: 85% seats in city government-run colleges to be reserved for students passing out of Delhi schools or 4% relaxation in cut-off  marks

Congress: second shifts in private schools, 1,500 new government schools, more evening colleges and health university with five medical colleges. Promises to extend its popular ladli  scheme (paying for the education of girl students in schools) to colleges

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. STATEHOOD
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AAP: full statehood to Delhi; DDA and Delhi police to come under Delhi government

BJP:  promises to work toward full statehood for Delhi bringing land and police under Delhi government

Congress: Dikshit reiterates her demand to grant full statehood to Delhi

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. MINORITIES
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AAP: justice for the kin of 1984 riots victims. End to fake encounters and false cases against Muslim youth

BJP: to ensure speedy trial and conviction of persons guilty for 1984 riots. Also assures  to have a migrant commission to sort out problems of Delhi’s migrant population

Congress: modernisation of madrasas and setting up a Haj house in Dwarka