BJP to target AAP in Delhi polls with high hopes and sops

NEW DELHI: BJP manifesto for the Delhi assembly elections is likely to a make a slew of promises for the people from all sections. It will announce setting up of 700 ‘water ATMs’ for dispensing cheap drinking water to the poor, LED lights to save power, mobile hospitals in each constituency to give free treatment, measures for ensuring safety and security of women and a helpline to lodge complaint in case these services are not implemented.

The saffron party plans to go to the people with the slogan of “sabka saath, sabka vikas (take everybody together and ensuring everybody's progress)” which had contributed to its stupendous performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the face of the BJP campaign but the party strategists say it will counter all issues being flagged by AAP by offering a more practical solution.

“We have already installed one water ATM in the capital and once we come to power, the rest will come up. Water at 50 paise or less per litre will be dispensed. There will be some extra charge for home delivery,” Rajendra Nagar MLA RP Singh told ET. The party intends to meet the cost of running these ATMs by selling advertising space to firms at the counter.

A mobile hospital – where a bus will be converted into a OPD complete with X-ray machines and the like – will be pressed into service in each of the 70 constituencies. “A specialist will be on duty in each of these vans which will be parked at one place for four hours in the morning and another four hours in the evening. It will give free treatment to the poor,” a party leader said.

Interestingly, funds for this venture will also be generated through allocation of advertisement space to private companies, including those from the pharmaceuticals sector. A health card will be issued to each new-born which will have all the data about the child's health fed into it. The manifesto is also likely to announce plans for safety and security of women.



This has been a big issue for the people, especially after the Nirbhaya rape case. “AAP is misleading people when it says it will raise a women's corps in Delhi Police. Delhi Police comes under the central government and hence AAP cannot implement this.

We plan to have around 700 decoy women and 1,400 marshals who will be posted at vantage points prone to eve-teasing and molestation,” Singh said. Installation of LED lights and subsidy on solar panels will also be announced to meet the power crisis in the capital. A 24-hour call centre for registering complaints will also be set up.