The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday launched the first phase of its campaign, which will run from November 25 to December 10, to consolidate its base ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the 15-day campaign, dubbed ‘Revdi Pe Charcha (discussion on freebies)’, will feature over 65,000 meetings across the city aiming to promote six key welfare schemes implemented by the Delhi Government.
The AAP national convenor defended the party’s flagship initiatives including free electricity, water, education, healthcare, and public transport, which often draw heavy criticism from their political opponents. Kejriwal said the party’s campaign will emphasise how these “six revdis” have benefitted Delhiites.
Addressing party workers and the media, he alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), often accused the AAP of offering ‘muft ki revdi’.
“BJP members say that if you vote for us, we will do everything that Kejriwal did for Delhi… If they have to do the same thing that Kejriwal is doing then why should they be elected to power?,” he asked, further adding, “Kejriwal ko vote denge, duplicate ko kyu layenge!”
“We have done a lot for Delhiites. We have given them 6 revdis. The PM has said that Kejriwal is giving ‘muft ki revdi’, which must be stopped. Now, the people of Delhi have to decide if they want these revdis or not,” Kejriwal said, stressing that these benefits were funded by the taxes paid by Delhi residents and will be abolished if the BJP comes to power in the national capital.
He went on to claim that the BJP, which governs 20 states, does not offer any of the six benefits in its own territories. “In BJP-ruled states, there is no free electricity, no free water, no free education, no free healthcare. If they come to power here, they will stop all these benefits too,” Kejriwal warned.
While elaborating about the six “revdis”, Kejriwal highlighted that before the AAP’s tenure, Delhi faced frequent power cuts of up to 10 hours a day. Under AAP, Delhiites now enjoy round-the-clock electricity. “None of the BJP-ruled states get 24-hour electricity,” Kejriwal pointed out, adding that Gujarat, despite being ruled by the BJP for over 30 years, still experiences power cuts.
He further said that the AAP government provides every family with 20,000 litres of free water per month. “None of the BJP-ruled states offer free water,” Kejriwal asserted.
The AAP national convenor spoke about the state-of-the-art schools built under the party’s governance. “Eighteen lakh students study in Delhi’s government schools. Children of rickshaw pullers and labourers are becoming doctors and engineers,” he said, contrasting this with the dilapidated state of schools in BJP-run states.
The AAP government’s healthcare scheme includes free treatment in government hospitals and mohalla clinics. “If you vote for the BJP, you will have to go to private hospitals and spend thousands,” Kejriwal claimed.
“Under the AAP’s governance, women get free bus rides and senior citizens are provided free pilgrimage trips, a scheme that the BJP will end if it comes to power,” he said, promising to start soon the scheme that provides Rs 1,000 per month to every woman in Delhi.
Attacking the BJP, Kejriwal said Delhi is a half-state. “We control the state government, but the central government, led by the BJP, controls the Lieutenant Governor’s office,” he explained. “We have done everything for the people of Delhi – electricity, water, roads, hospitals, CCTV cameras, streetlights. What has the central government done?” he asked.
Arvind Kejriwal further questioned the BJP’s promises, pointing out that the party had failed to fulfill commitments from the last election, including registering unauthorised colonies in Delhi. “They lied to the Purvanchal community that they would register their colonies. Not a single registry happened in the last five years,” Kejriwal claimed. “We, on the other hand, started development work in these areas. We have constructed over 10,000 km of roads and 6,800 km of sewer and water lines.”
Concluding his speech, Kejriwal appealed to Delhiites to continue supporting the AAP, claiming that the party was the only one that kept its promises. “Whatever I say, I do. I don’t lie,” he asserted. He expressed confidence that the AAP would “secure as many seats as it did in the last elections.”
The AAP on Thursday released its first list of 11 candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls scheduled to be held in February 2025.
