New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS): As AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced a series of guarantees for tenants in Delhi, including free electricity and water, his Congress rival from the New Delhi Assembly seat Sandeep Dikshit said on Saturday that the former Chief Minister has been making such promises for five years but has never fulfilled any of them.
Speaking to IANS, Dikshit said: "He (Kejriwal) has been saying the same things for five years. He said the same thing two or three years ago, and he keeps repeating it. Why hasn’t he implemented anything yet? Why hasn’t he introduced any schemes? I’ll tell you, he’s still saying the same thing after three or four years. Don’t trust any of his promises. Tenants should benefit from reduced electricity bills, but no work has been done regarding electricity subsidies to date. What work remains to be done now?"
The Congress leader also responded to the BJP manifesto, which promised a range of benefits, including Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women, a Rs 500 subsidy on LPG cylinders, and medical insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh for every resident.
"They've taken some ideas from Congress, some from here, some from there. They even copied our Indira Rasoi from Karnataka. There's nothing special in it. I feel that the BJP has absolutely no idea left about what to do for Delhi," he said.
Dikshit further commented on the ongoing controversy surrounding the screening of an AAP documentary that was halted by the Delhi Police.
"We don’t need to watch a documentary about a Chief Minister. What he has done is visible in our lives. We walk on the roads, drink water, and breathe air - that will show the reality. What does a film have to do with that?" he maintained.
The Delhi Police had stopped the screening of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) documentary *Unbreakable*, citing the lack of necessary permissions. Kejriwal clarified that the event was private and not related to the election campaign.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said: "A film has been made on AAP. Today, we had a special screening for journalists, but the Delhi Police arrived in the morning and stopped the screening."
As the Delhi Assembly elections draw near, the leading political parties in the capital city have pledged comprehensive policies to attract voters. The Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party are all vying for the support of women voters, a demographic that has gained significant attention in recent elections.
Last week, the Election Commission of India announced that the 9th Delhi Assembly Elections will take place on February 5 in a single phase across all 70 constituencies. The vote counting is scheduled for February 8.