'No financial crisis in MCD, it's BJP's management crisis'
In an exclusive interview with Arghya Bhaskar of Millennium Post, Aam Aadmi Party state convenor and Cabinet minister Gopal Rai explains that his party is primarily focussing on the 'Kejriwal ki Sarkar, Kejriwal ka Parshad' theme with an outlook of 'positive campaigning.' Rai also mentioned that the delimitation exercise has benefitted his party and added that his party MLAs and leaders are getting warm reception from voters across the Capital because of the work done by CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Excerpts:
How are the ground preparations done by your party for the election campaign turning out?
The preparations have definitely yielded results. We have 5 focus points — 'Nukkad Sabhas' which are being moderated by our leaders are witnessing huge turnout by voters, door-to-door campaigning, 'Booth Samvad', 'Nukkad Nataks' in market gatherings and dance for democracy performances. Through these programs we have been delivering the message 'Kejriwal ki Sarkar, Kejriwal ka Parshad' which is our theme for the election. All our star campaigners are actively participating in 'Nukkad Sabhas' interacting with voters and addressing their issues.
Apart from reducing the size of landfills does that party have any blueprint on source segregation of garbage?
Landfills and garbage collection are both related. Firstly, with technical assistance our plan is to carry the daily collected garbage to 'waste to energy' plants rather than the landfills. Around the Bhalswa landfill you can spot ten processing plants from one side. This can be multiplied on all the other remaining sides. Cutting off the daily garbage supply to the landfill is equally important and then with an enhanced infrastructure apparatus at the landfills we can process the remaining garbage leading to a reduction in its size.
How do you plan to tackle the prevailing financial crisis in MCD which allegedly is a huge one?
There is no financial crisis in MCD. This is a made-up story. This is a BJP management crisis.
Are there any specific plans for shopkeepers and traders, a group of voters dissatisfied with the MCD?
The biggest issue for the group of voters you mentioned is conversion charges and parking charges which they have been paying for a long time. That money has not been utilised. The MCD has failed in creating better parking facilities and even toilets in the market areas. The ten guarantees for MCD released by our party has offerings for all kinds of voters. Cleanliness is the primary work, apart from it MCD schools and hospitals also need to be revamped. We intend to have an overall focus.
Have the recent corruption allegations impacted your party's chance of winning the elections or affected the party's confidence in any way?
Not at all. The party has made a conscious decision to project a 'positive campaign'. The BJP has been spreading falsehoods against AAP because of a lack of internal discourse amongst them. Their leaders fail to mention any work they have done in MCD in the last 15 years, hence they come up with baseless arguments in order to hide their faces. We don't need all this. Our work in the Delhi government is our specimen. We are only asking the voters to give us a chance this time, like they have given the BJP for the last 15 years.
