Arvind Kejriwal joins the battle for slum votes as he pegs his 'guarantee' against Modi's life-size persona

• On Sunday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) election manifesto called 'Kejriwal ki Guarantee'.
• The manifesto includes regularising Delhi's unauthorised colonies with a promise to provide facilities like drinking water and sanitation.
• Over the past month, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been drumming to its own tune putting up hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi outside unauthorised colonies asking them to sign up for the Pradhan Manti Awas Yojana which promises permanent housing.

Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal released the election manifesto of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — named after himself — ‘Kejriwal ki Guarantee’ on Sunday.

For the 2020 election, Kejriwal’s ‘guarantee card’ promises to deliver on 10 points of action, which include around-the-clock electricity and water, ‘world-class’ education system, better more public transportation and making Delhi litter-free.

It also has a specific impetus on unauthorised colonies or jhuggi jhopri (JJ) colonies. He Kejriwal promises facilities like drinking water, sanitation, roads and infrastructure, mohalla clinics and CCTV cameras - once they are legalised.

His promise to citizens living in authorised colonies is pitched against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent bill that plans to regularise over 1,700 slums and build over 2 lakh homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY). In addition, BJP candidate Manoj Tiwari has also been making the headlines for ‘silently’ working towards helping people in these communities.

Out of Delhi’s 70 assembly segments, slum-dwellers hold the decisive vote in nearly 28, according to a senior BJP leader. During the last Delhi Election in 2015, AAP was able to garner 95% of those votes — not to mention winning 67 of the 70 seats.

Hoardings all over Delhi
Many claims that the bill to regularise Delhi’s unauthorised colonies was passed in Parliament suspiciously close to the election. Since December, the central government has been pushing hard to get people to sign up for homes under PMAY.



According to a report by PTI, the BJP’s Delhi chapter has started putting up large hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi across colonies to win them over. Each hoarding has a larger-than-life picture of Modi with the slogan, “Jahan jhuggi wahin makan,” which roughly translates to, “a house in place of a hut.”

The scheme promises a two-bedroom house with water, electricity and waste management connections. "We have a target to put up large hoardings of the PMAY in 700 JJ clusters in the city, where around 20 lakh people live," Delhi BJP JJ Cluster Cell president Umesh Verma told PTI.

Ownership certificates
Countering the Bill passed by the central government, Kejriwal launched the Mukhyamantrai Awas Yojan (MMAY). On the day of the launch, he distributed 65,000 ownership certificates to families currently living in JJ colonies promising pucca houses.

However, according to the Union Ministry, Kejriwal has been holding back on funds. Union Minister Hardeep Puri claims that AAP received part payment of ₹5.85 lakh in September 2018 to undertake a survey of 23 priority JJ clusters but did not complete the task.

Why BJP wants to win the 2020 Delhi election
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been out of power in Delhi for over two decades. Since 1998, Delhi has been a Congress stronghold. In 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rose to power after Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption (IAC) movement.

Despite the AAP’s historic win in 2015 — winning 67 of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats — they lost in every single constituency during the Lok Sabha election last year to the BJP.

In order for the BJP to win the 2020 Delhi election, AAP’s would have to lose in nearly the half the constituencies where it’s currently in power. Political pundits believe this election will be AAP’s report card on their performance in Delhi over the last five years while BJP’s win will largely rest on Modi’s popularity.

BJP is using its star power with Manoj Tiwari and has plans to feature more Bhojpuri stars, union ministers and MPs from Poorvanchal — home to over 40% Delhi migrants — on its ballot to reign in the vote bank that includes over 4 million voters.

(With inputs from PTI)

See also:
Both BJP and AAP want votes from Delhi's 4 million slum dwellers for schemes that haven't taken off yet

Delhi Election 2020: Lights, camera, and action – Manoj Tiwari is ready for the spotlight

Aam Aadmi Party Manifesto: "Kejriwal ki Guarantee" short manifesto released, full version to be out in 10 days