The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday released its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The document titled “Sankalp Patra” was released in the presence of Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan, the party’s Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari and other parliamentarians.
Gadkari said the main focus of the party was to tackle air and water pollution in the national Capital. “Delhi is the heart of the country, it is the pride of the entire country,” he added. “The country’s history is linked with Delhi, and so is BJP’s as many of our leaders have worked hard in Delhi before coming on the national stage.”
“Whenever we got a chance, we have changed the future of Delhi, whether it was during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government or presently, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Gadkari said.
He also highlighted various other development projects taken up by the BJP-ruled central government for Delhi, the Hindustan Times reported. The minister pointed out that the government allocated Rs 55,000 crore to clean the air in and around Delhi. “Part of this effort can be seen in the form of two major road projects – the Western Peripheral Expressway and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway,” Gadkari said, adding that it has considerably reduced the direct traffic entering Delhi.
Speaking about the “Namami Gange” programme launched to reduce pollutants in rivers, Gadkari said the saffron party also approved 13 other projects worth Rs 6,000 crore to clean Yamuna. He said the party will also provide clean drinking water to every household.
Meanwhile, Tiwari said that the manifesto focused on giving Delhi a corruption free and transparent government. “This has been the hallmark of Modi government at the Centre,” he added. “Half of the ministers and MLAs in the current government are either on bail or are facing charges. We will change this scenario.”
He promised to offer flour at Rs 2 per kg to poor if voted to power. “Though the raw material wheat is offered at Rs 2 per kg, a poor person has to spend Rs 5 per kg in grinding it,” the Delhi BJP chief said. “So, we promise to offer flour at Rs 2 per kg to poor.”
A development board for regularisation of societies will also be the prime focus, Tiwari added. The Union cabinet had earlier approved a proposal to regularise 1,728 unauthorised colonies.
The saffron party promised a “permanent solution” to the sealing drive in the Delhi for the benefit of local businesses and to turn lease hold property of traders into freehold within a year of coming into power. “It will benefit 10 lakh traders,” Tiwari said.
Assembly elections are scheduled for all 70 seats in the city-state on February 8. The results will be declared on February 11. In the 2015 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party won 67 of the 70 seats, the BJP just three and the Congress none.
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