Delhi CM Kejriwal challenges BJP, Congress to implement power bill waiver in Maharashtra, Harayana
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also said that he will ask people to vote for the BJP, if it can implement the same in the states it is ruling at present.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress for calling the recently announced power bill waiver for households that consume less than 200 units per month a “political stunt”. Kejriwal also challenged the BJP and the Congress to implement the same in Maharashtra and Haryana state assembly elections scheduled later this year.
“Both these parties are about to contest assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana later this year. I challenge them to make a similar poll promise there. Will they take up the challenge?” Kejriwal said while addressing a gathering in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also said that he will ask people to vote for the BJP, if it can implement the same in the states it is ruling at present. The chief minister had, on Wednesday, announced that households consuming less than 200 units will not need to pay electricity bills.
The BJP and the Congress had called the announcement of the power subsidy a “political stunt”, given that the Delhi assembly elections are due next year.
Reacting to the allegations, senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta said, “The power distribution companies overcharged the people of Delhi to the tune of around ₹8,000 crore in the fixed charges head in the last 16 months. It happened right under Kejriwal’s nose. Did he intervene? He is now trying to hide his failures and woo people with such freebies ahead of assembly polls.”
However, Delhi Congress working president Rajesh Lilothia said his party does not need to make an announcement, as it has shown in its 15 years of governance how power rates are managed and kept at their lowest.
“The AAP, on the other hand, have only bluffed people. They promised people free electricity but have been looting people in the name of fixed charges,” Lilothia said.
Kejriwal inaugurates work of laying pipelines in unauthorised colonies
Meanwhile, the chief minister on Sunday inaugurated the work of laying water pipelines in 13 unauthorised colonies in the Deoli assembly constituency. The project estimated to cost around ₹14.4 crore is expected to benefit at least two lakh people living in these areas. The work is estimated to be completed within 12 months, said a statement issued by the government.
The CM said that once the work is complete, residents will have a regular supply of potable Ganga water.”