Top 10 Reasons to vote for Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi Assembly Elections 2015

As the momentum for Delhi Vidhan Sabha election builds up, emerging polls strongly indicate that voters care deeply about local issues. It is not going to be a Modi vs Kejriwal contest as some BJP ranks have been claiming. Neither is it going to be an exercise in creating the “right political configuration” in Delhi with the Center and Delhi State under a single party. Half of Delhi’s population lives in slum clusters and unauthorized colonies without basic services. For Delhi voters, electricity tariff, water supply, sanitation, public health system, secondary education, food pricing, women’s safety, and above all corruption are survival issues. The criterion for the voters is very simple:  which party has the track record of delivering on election promises and providing some level of responsible governance. Voters will continue to ask questions that unfortunately cannot be dismissed with publicity blitz. Will they continue to live in slums without water, proper sanitation and garbage collection?  Will they continue to pay officials at every step to get simple things done from getting a ration card, obtaining medicines at a government dispensary, receiving a tax refund, obtaining a driver’s license and above all filing an FIR at the local police station?  Will Delhi’s women continue to live under fear as political newbies campaign against women wearing jeans?  Will Delhi have a chance at becoming a modern metropolis with rule of law or continue to be the political backyard of Hindutava forces fighting modern education, modern science and modern statehood with pseudo-science, superstition and absurd narratives of Vedic history. Will the minorities of Delhi continue to face the pressure of conversion (aka Ghar Vapisi) in a majoritarian state. For Delhi voters, there will be all sorts of considerations but responsible governance would be at the top. To borrow a phrase from James Carville, “it is the governance, stupid”. So, if you are a voter looking for responsible governance in Delhi, here are some reasons to consider voting for AAP.

10. Affordable Public Transportation

AAP is committed to creating public, universal and affordable public transport. AAP has proposed improving Metro connectivity by improving last mile connectivity via feeder buses, shared auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws. To enable planned transportation expansion, AAP wants to establish a Unified Transport Authority for a holistic transport policy.

9. Right to HealthCare

AAP is committed to introducing a comprehensive legislation ‘Right To Healthcare’ to ensure high quality healthcare for all. All paid service in hospitals will covered under Consumer Protection Act. AAP has proposed concrete measures to improve healthcare for the weaker sections including 650 hospital beds for the economically weaker sections in Delhi’s private hospitals. Evening OPDs and 100 new fully equipped ambulances will also be added to bring health services to the people.

8. Minority Rights Protection

AAP is committed to promoting and protecting India’s secular foundation and ensuring minority rights are protected. AAP has strongly criticized the “Ghar Vapisi” campaign (conversion of minorities to Hindu faith) as utterly irresponsible and yet another demonstration of politics of polarization. AAP leadership has urged people to work towards true “Ghar Vapisi” that brings health, education, and jobs to all with dignity and brotherhood. In 49 days of administration, AAP set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that had been ignored by Congress and BJP administrations for over 30 years.

7. Employment Creation

AAP views industry as the economic engine for creating jobs. The party’s economic policy seeks to create large scale rural employment through local infrastructure growth and a reinvigorated farming economy that employs technology and provides income security through affordable credit and insurance schemes. AAP is committed to creating 8 Lakh Jobs in Delhi in the next 5 years. Employment will be created by increasing vocational training capacity, setting up business incubators for entrepreneurs and empowering private industry to create jobs.

6. Universal Public Education

AAP is committed to quality public education and modernizing the education infrastructure. AAP has announced setting up 20 new colleges and providing Wi-Fi connectivity across the city. New colleges will also be set up in rural areas to provide access to higher education to rural Delhi. AAP has proposed to upgrade and supervise basic facilities in 5,000 government schools in Delhi. Teachers will be required to take appropriate training to meet standards. AAP will also initiate a higher education guarantee scheme which will offer criteria based education loans.

5. Water Promise

In 49 days of governance, AAP put an end to artificial supply shortages in the capital region created by the water tanker mafia. Free Water supply of 20 K Liters per month was announced for all consumers with metered connections. AAP is committed to eliminating water pilferage by the mafia and providing adequate water supply to all unauthorized colonies including Sangam Vihar, Narela, Mehrauli, and Dakshinpuri.

4. Lower Electricity Tariffs

In 49 days of governance, AAP reduced electricity tariff by 50% for consumers using up to 400 units per month. It is believed Electricity distribution companies (discoms) had gone through several rounds of tariff hikes by underreporting profits and fudging books. AAP directed the Discoms to submit to a CAG audit so that actual profits could be disclosed so that tariff reductions could be made more sustainable. AAP is committed to a rational tariff regimen that protects consumers and returns fair profits to discoms.

3. Women’s Safety Measures

AAP is the first political party to respond to women’s safety issues with concrete measures. As part of Delhi Dialog, in consultation with the public, AAP has put together a plan to deploy marshals on city buses. To enhance security for women, a CCTV network across the capital, including the public transport system has been planned. AAP has time-bound policy measures to enhance women’s safety including 2 lakh toilets for women and special courts to fast-track rape cases. AAP fully complies with Vishaka guidelines and has set up internal committees to protect women’s rights within the organization.

2. Participatory Governance

AAP has demonstrated that Participatory governance is very much a reality through its massive Delhi Dialog initiative. As part of this public engagement, AAP interacted with Delhi residents including technocrats, teachers, students, home makers to get public input on solving Delhi’s electricity, water, sanitation, public health, education public transport, women’s safety issues. Earlier last year, AAP MLAs held Mohalla Sabhas to invite direct public participation in prioritizing projects so that funding was allocated to projects with public input. AAP’s engagement of public in governance is a bold initiative to share power with the people to make governance a shared responsibility.

1. Principled Stand against Corruption

AAP  took a principled stand against corruption by  being the first political party in the country to disclose the source of party funding. All AAP donation transactions are recorded on the party website. AAP is not beholden to any corporations or special interest groups and is therefore more likely to pursue policies that benefit the people of Delhi. During 49 days of AAP governance in Delhi, corruption declined in transport offices, Income Tax offices, and police hafta collections from roadside vendors. The AAP government set up an anti-corruption helpline number which created public awareness and a process to report cases of corruption. In the fight against corruption, AAP is committed to an undiluted Jan LokPal Bill that puts the CBI under the administrative control of the Lokpal, so that the process of investigation is independent of the government.

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