Kejriwal promises an AAP election manifesto for each constituency

10.5 lakh letters protesting ‘inflated’ water bills delivered to CM

Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal showing a faulty water meter,which runs with air pressure in the absence of water, at a rally against“inflated” water and power bills, in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

In a move aimed at creating pressure on the mainstream political parties ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections due later this year, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that his party will prepare 70 different manifestos for the 70 Assembly seats.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s decision to accept the 10.5 lakh protest letters written by Delhi residents against “inflated” power bills was seen by Mr. Kejriwal as a “people’s victory”. A delegation of AAP leaders including Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia delivered the letters at the CM’s residence.

Mr. Kejriwal also announced that the protest will not cease until electricity and water tariffs are reduced. He also said that the next AAP campaign is to ‘gherao’ the MLAs in their respective constituencies on May 19. “People would go to the houses of their local MLAs and ask them what they were doing when water and electricity tariffs were being unfairly hiked,” he said.

While addressing party supporters during the

Bijli-Pani rally here he announced that the AAP believed in rule by the common man, so each of the manifestos will be drafted in consultation with the local residents keeping in mind their requirements, needs and problems. “We will go door to door and prepare 70 manifestos for all the Assembly constituencies and one common manifesto for the entire Delhi,” he said.

Continuing his attack on the Congress Government over the rise in power and water tariffs, Mr. Kejriwal promised a reduction in power tariff by half and 3,000 litres of free water for every family in Delhi if the AAP comes to power.

While talking about the “faulty” water meters, he demonstrated how consumers were being “cheated” into paying inflated bills. He showed how a meter which was not even connected to a water source was running and showing a reading when air was blown into it.

Giving a brief glance into what the manifesto of the Aam Aadmi Party would look like, he announced that councillors and MLAs will have to spend the money allocated to them in consultation with the area residents. To deal with the law and order situation he proposed the idea of a citizen security ward in every Assembly constituency which would be headed by a former Army personnel.

Within a year of coming to power, the AAP would regularise over 1,600 unauthorised colonies, he added.