Delhi polls: We are ready, says Kirti Azad

Even though the dates for the Delhi Assembly elections have not being declared yet, however, the stage is set, as political parties have started grinding to prove their mettle. Even the Delhi Congress that was in slumps after former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee party president Sheila Dixit's death has now buckled up. In an interview with Nikita Jain of the Millennium Post, senior leader of the Congress party Kirti Azad spoke about the Congress's strategy for the impending Delhi assembly election. Excerpts:

What is the Congress's plan for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections?

We are going full throttle now. Currently we are involving few former cricketers in the campaign. They have come out in support of the Congress and will tell the truth about the BJP and AAP.

What are the main issues that the Congress will be focusing on this election?

There are quite a few. The latest being the issue of unauthorised colonies, how they are lying to the people. Why did they ask for 118 days? In a notification in 2015 they spoke about satellite mapping, they could have easily started the satellite mapping of the unauthorised colonies and surveys could have been conducted. Who is DDA to say anything?

Congress was in the third position, during the previous election. How is it going to retain itself in the impending election?

We will speak about the good work that we have done earlier. Before we took over in 1998, there was no development in the city, there was no water supply. So, when we came to power, we started working 24x7.

The free electricity that was started by AAP...

No, we were giving subsidised electricity, which is much better than free electricity. Because free electricity is restricted to only 200 units, so if someone reaches 201 units, they have to pay for the entire 201 units and not 1 unit. Our subsidy was much cheaper, because it went throughout. We will do better work than the AAP. We will not give 200 free units — we will make 600 units free — that will help more people. Like they have given free bus rides (for women), it's very good, but why didn't they do it as soon as their government came in power? Then they say that the Central government doesn't let me do the job. For everything the Chief Minister kept blaming the Central government. We are not against the free bus ride for women, but what about senior citizens, what about school going children? Why not include them too?

What about the candidates, who do you think will be the face of Congress this time?

I am no one to decide that. My job is to work on the campaign.

How do you see AAP and BJP as competitors?

AAP came to existence because of the aandolan (movement) led by Anna Hazare, and BJP came on the Hindutva agenda, and both are not nationalistic agenda.

So, is Congress confident this time?

Yes, we will do very well. People have realised that. You can see that by the result in Haryana and Maharashtra. AAP contested in Haryana, got nothing, so people are realising what AAP is all about.