Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday promised to extend free 200 units of electricity and water up to 20,000 litres to the city’s tenants if his party is voted to power.
The Delhi government already has an existing scheme of pre-paid meters for tenants to avail the benefit of free electricity up to 200 units a month. When asked about it, Mr. Kejriwal said that there were “certain issues” with the existing scheme and it will be fixed if AAP is re-elected.
Attacking Mr. Kejriwal, both the BJP and the Congress said the announcement was an “old promise” and the scheme is already in place.
“After the election, when our [AAP] government is formed, we will introduce a plan and build a system that ensures the tenants in Delhi start receiving the benefits of free electricity and water. Many tenants in Delhi come from Purvanchal [eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar]. They live on rent and often come from low-income background. Soon, all these people will also start benefiting from free electricity and water,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that since 2017, Mr. Kejriwal has been showing dreams of free and affordable electricity to tenants but has delivered nothing.
“In 2013, Mr. Kejriwal formed AAP’s tenant cell, but he deceived it too,” he alleged.
He accused the AAP chief of “colluding with power discoms” to “exploit” the people of Delhi.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav alleged that Mr. Kejriwal, in a desperate bid to “salvage his eroded” voter base, was “recycling” his old, unfulfilled promises to impress the voters.
“His latest lie of giving free power and water to the tenants was an old gimmick he had indulged in the 2015 and 2019 Delhi Assembly elections,” he claimed.
Published - January 19, 2025 01:41 am IST
