Ahead of the much-anticipated Delhi Legislative Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party has continued to pursue its earlier strategy of promising and enhancing freebies to the national capital’s voters.
Fearing heavy anti-incumbency, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has announced several schemes promising freebies to various sections of society in an attempt to consolidate its vote base in the forthcoming polls.
The former Delhi Chief Minister has announced Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, Sanjivini Yojana and Mahila Samman Yojana aimed at various sections of the society. Under the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, the AAP has proposed to provide a salary of Rs 18,000 to all pujaris and granthis in the city.
Under Sanjivini Yojana all senior citizens of the national capital have been promised free medical treatment in all hospitals and while the Mahila Samman Yojana proposes Rs 2,100 monthly to all women citizens, respectively. The only catch being that the voters of the city need to reelect the Kejriwal-led party to see the implementation of these schemes.
Over the past few weeks, ever since the AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has started to address rallies and meetings, the party has changed its strategy after getting ground level feedback and is now promising more freebies to the voters, sources said.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit feels that freebies will play a crucial part in its political strategy to secure the forthcoming polls.
The AAP has made these new freebie promises despite being in office for the past decade after the internal surveys of the party are not painting a rosy outcome for the outfit.
Moreover, with the Congress vying for votes strongly during the forthcoming polls, the AAP is seemingly alarmed at possible loss of voter base and seats. Hence the need for several freebie schemes being announced by Kejriwal just weeks ahead of polls.
Over the past few years, the AAP government has offered subsidised services like free electricity, water, bus services for women, for the voters over the years.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the proposed freebies as an attempt to mislead the voters of the national capital. “Kejriwal has been in power for the past 10 years, why is he remembering to introduce these schemes now?” a senior BJP leader asked.
Despite criticizing the AAP, it is believed that the freebie model is also expected to be followed by the BJP in the forthcoming polls and several of such schemes will be part of its electoral manifesto. The party has been staying away from making any such promises in the past few polls in the city. However, now the local BJP leadership feels that they too might need to introduce some form of subsidy and freebie regime to secure additional votes.
The 70-member Legislative Assembly in Delhi is scheduled to go for polls in February 2025. Besides the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress are the main contenders.
Over the years, AAP has seen a decline in winning seats in 2020 as compared to 2015. The party won 67 seats in Delhi for the year 2015 and 62 in 2020.
