Connection with aam admi, our USP: Sanjay Singh

New Delhi: From lowering tariff of electricity bill to free bus ride for women and other beneficial schemes, including water, health and education, for Delhiites, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has done its part since it captured the power from the once invincible Sheila Dikshit led Congress government. Now, as the sound of poll bugle in Delhi slowly getting momentum, which is likely to be held in early next year, it will surely be a litmus test for the ruling AAP.

In an interview with the Millennium Post, AAP's senior leader and also an MP in Rajya Sabha, Sanjay Singh spoke on various schemes launched by the state government, which he believes will ultimately come in favour of the ruling party. He also confides that his party doesn't see Congress as a competent opposition. But unlike the 2015 election where the AAP was considering a coalition with Congress, this time they have no such talks, confirmed Singh. The AAP sees only BJP as its main opposition and is certain of repeating its previous performance.

In the 2015 assembly elections, AAP won 67 of the 70 seats and the BJP got the rest, while the Congress drew a blank.

"We have covered all sections of the society in our schemes. We brought 'Teerth Yatra Yojna' for the senior citizens; we are constantly improving education which is for the children and youth of the city. We brought in 'Jai Bhim Yojna' for further studies of the youth so that they can sit in the competitive exams, and for females, we installed CCTV cameras and gave free bus rides too. Also, if the government is giving 200 units free then it lessens the burden on aam admi's pockets only," Singh said.

On unauthorised colonies being a "game-changer" in the upcoming polls, Singh said, "If the BJP's thoughts about the unauthorised colonies they should have begun the process of registration of the residents long before. If they wanted to work on it than they could have passed it through an ordinance. They are fooling people through the online registration... just the way Congress did through its provisional certificates in 2008."

Purvanchalis formed a large vote bank for the AAP party with Sanjay Singh wooing them in 2013 but in the 2019-20 election, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari is also singing his way into their hearts. However, Singh is confident enough that Purvanchalis will remember BJP's ill-treatment to them in other states.

He said, "Look at the states with BJP in power and see the states of the Purvanchalis there. For instances, in Mumbai they beat them up, in Surat and Ahmedabad also it is the same story. In Assam, they beat them up too and now they have gone a step ahead by implementing NRC, which made lakhs of people homeless. Wherever BJP is there they have disrespected and beaten Purvanchalis. At times they have not let them appear for exams as well."

In stark contrast, Singh pointed out that in Delhi, the AAP has given them space in the party and as many as 13 AAP MLAs are Purvanchalis.

On Chhath Puja celebration in the city, the Rajya Sabha MP pointed out that there were 72 ghats earlier, and now there are 1,172 ghats. "Our connect with the aam admi is our USP, AAP leaders are easily accessible and they are there to help people out and this is what people like. Almost all MLAs follow the concept of doing public service for the aam admi,"

he added.

A source from the party said, "Majority of the MLAs will be repeated in the upcoming elections although, 15-20 candidates will be replaced and new leaders will be included in the first list of candidates which will be announced soon after the election dates. The party manifesto will be released later though."