Arvind Kejriwal pledges electricity bill waivers, free education in Rajasthan as AAP gears up for polls

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal pledged to waive all previous electricity bills in Rajasthan if his party secures victory in the upcoming Assembly election in the State

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on September 4 pledged to waive all previous electricity bills in Rajasthan if his party secures victory in the upcoming Assembly election in the State. He also promised free electricity up to 300 units per month to every household and an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply.

Mr. Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, was in Jaipur to address a town hall programme as part of AAP’s election campaign. He announced six guarantees ahead of the polls, which included free school education and medical treatment, ₹1,000 every month to women above 18 years and permanent employment to contractual workers.

The AAP will be contesting the Assembly election at all the 200 seats. At the national level, AAP is a constituent of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) coalition, of which the Indian National Congress is also a member. Mr. Kejriwal refrained from attacking the ruling Congress party in the State at the programme and only targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on various issues.

Mr. Kejriwal rejected the Centre’s proposal for ‘One Nation, One Election’, saying the elections should keep taking place in different parts of the country every three months, so that the political leaders keep coming to the public to seek their votes.

“If this proposal becomes a reality, the Prime Minister will show his face to the electorate only once in five years,” Mr. Kejriwal said. He also said that the floating of this idea after completion of nine years in power showed that the government at the Centre had not done any work.

The Delhi CM said the LPG cylinders would be available for ₹5,000 each and tomatoes would be sold at ₹1,500 per kg if the elections were held every five years, while a small discount would be announced in the last year of power. “That is why there should be four elections every year. The voters will at least get something,” he said.

Addressing the programme, Mr. Mann said the AAP would make Rajasthan corruption-free on the pattern of Delhi and Punjab. “We will extend relief to the public with a clear intention... 90% of the people in Punjab are now getting electricity bills with zero amount,” he said.