Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has placed his bets on the promise of full statehood for Delhi for a win on the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi which it is contesting on. The agenda is a departure from the party’s poll plank of anti-corruption which played a key role in bringing it to power besides the promise of free water and electricity.
Kejriwal released the manifesto today along with senior leaders of the party with the promise of full statehood to the national capital as its top poll plank. The manifesto says that the elected government would be better equipped to take calls on women safety, law and order, education, jobs, cleanliness, tax share.
“If Delhi attains full statehood, the hard earned money of the public will be put back into the development of the state in a better way,” Kejriwal said.
A staunch critic of the Modi-led NDA government, Kejriwal said, “The election of 2019 is an election to save the democracy of India, it is the election to save the country’s constitution.”
Kejriwal, who is the national convener of AAP, said that the people of Delhi are being treated as second class citizens and this was precisely why Delhi needs to attain full statehood.
He said, “If Delhi attains full statehood, the police would be accountable to the public, which would make women safer.”
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Championing his cause, Kejriwal said that Delhi as a full state would mean that 85 percent of Delhi’s students would get admission in colleges, all non-permanent employees will be made permanent. He also linked Delhi’s civic issues with the MCD, saying that the civic body would come under the ambit of Delhi government leading to more cleanliness.
“We will do anything and make Delhi a full state,” Kejriwal said flanked by deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and others.
Backing Kejriwal, Sisodia said that the Aam Aadmi Party manifesto 2019 will also show the comparison between India’s national capital and their counterparts, adding that this shows how they have full rights for their elected government.
“This election is not to make someone the PM, it is to make Delhi a full state,” Kejriwal said.
