Delhi Assembly elections 2020: BJP takes populist route to woo voters

The BJP on Friday went the populist way to woo Delhi voters ahead of the Assembly polls, promising wheat at Rs 2 per kg for poor, cycle for girls from poor families who enter Class IX, free electric scooty for college-going girls from poor families and Rs 51,000 for marriage of daughters of poor widows.

It became the first party to release its manifesto in which it also vowed to deposit money in the name of girl child born in poor families with pay-out of Rs 2 lakh when the girl turns 21, make Delhi tanker-free by providing clean water on tap for every household by 2024 and employment for at least 10 lakh youth in five years

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari promised that none of the existing benefits like subsidy on power and water will continue, as the party sought to counter the AAP government.

Releasing the manifesto, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the BJP will run the “bullet train” of development in the capital, whose future will be changed by the party.

Addressing the concerns of traders, the BJP promised to convert ten lakh shops and offices from leasehold to freehold properties in one year and bring legal changes to end sealing of commercial properties.

As the AAP government has not implemented certain central schemes, the BJP also said it would implement central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Kisan Samman Nidhi.

On cleaning of river Yamuna, it said Delhi Yamuna Vikas Board will be set up besides creating Yamuna River Front. A ‘Yamuna Arti’ will also be started.

The BJP also plans to initiate a scheme with a provision of Rs 10,000 crore to ensure “focussed and priority creation of key infrastructure like roads, flyovers, foot overbridges etc”. Establishing 10 new colleges and 200 new schools are also on the BJP agenda.

“Jobs will be given to one child of the victims who lost earning family members during the 1984 (anti-Sikh) riots,” it said adding pension given to the widows of riot victims from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500 per month.