Vinit Wahi / NEW DELHI
About 1.46 crore voters will decide the fate of some 700 candidates to elect a new 70- member Delhi legislative assembly on Saturday with the ruling Aam Admi Party(AAP) locked in a fierce battle with its arch rival Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and also the Congress which are leaving no stone unturned to unsettle the present incumbent.
As many as 80.55 lakh males and 66.35 lakh female voters are likely to use their franchise for the 58 general category and 12 reserved assembly segments in the national capital.
The campaigning in the run-up to the elections saw a new low this time with all the parties making below the belt attacks and slogans and adjectives like “terrorist”, “Desh ke gaddaron ko,goli…….”and “ dande se pitai karo”, became a common thing. So much so that the Election Commission had to censor minister of state for finance Anurg Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Verma from campaigning for certain duration of time for using provocative language. But then, as they say, everything is fair in love and war.
While the Arvind Kejriwal –led AAP is banking on its performance in the last five years, especially what it claims are on improved education system in Delhi government schools, free water and power supply up to 200 units, free travel for women in DTC buses, the BJP is yet again banking on Prime Minister Narender Modi’s charisma, issues of nationalism and CAA. The party that ruled Delhi for 3 terms at a stretch, the Congress, seems to be trying to recover its lost ground.
Observers say while AAP seems to be on a strong wicket, the BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi for about 22 years now, is making a desperate move to somehow regain power here. As economy is in a shambles, jobs are hard to come by and inflation keeps shooting up every now and then, BJP has raked up Shaheen Bagh protest against CAA to woo voters. Also, the presence of all BJP CMs and its MPs in election campaign and almost daily forays by home minister Amit Shah, in various assembly seats proves just that. The Congress is making all out efforts to at least open its account and hence banking on the past track record of late Sheila Dikshit as three-time Delhi chief minister which saw Delhi make an overall development in various sectors. So much so that BJP could not even declare its chief ministerial candidate for Delhi, though it maintains it’s a tactical move.
In its election manifesto, the AAP has promised Delhi janlokpal bill, Delhi swaraj bill. Door step delivery of ration, teerth yatra for 10 lakh senior citizens, deshbhakti curriculum, spoken English for youth, Yamuna riverside development, world class roads, appointment of new safai workers, compensation of Rs one crore to deceased safai workers, no raid raj and rationalisation of circle rates and full statehood among other things.
The BJP, on the other hand, has promised corruption free government, clean water taps, implementation of Ayushman Bharat yojana and Kisan samman yojna,10 lakh jobs to unemployed in next 5 years, samrudh Delhi infrastructure policy, Rs 51000 for poor widows for their daughter’s marriage and free bicycle for class 9th girl students among others. The Congress has assured of strong lokpal, bhagidari, unemployment allowances, environment ambassadors, jal sanrakshan board and rice stubble to energy funds among others.
Out of a total 668 candidates in the fray for tomorrow’s elections, a maximum of 28 are contesting from New Delhi assembly segment and a minimum of 4 are in the contest from Patel Nagar.The counting of votes will take place on February 11 and the term of current assembly will expire on February 22.