Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Congress of replicating the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) pre-poll promises in the recent Karnataka assembly election. Kejriwal asserted that the Congress’s resounding victory in the state could be attributed to their adoption of the AAP’s manifesto. Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal emphasized that the AAP had successfully transformed the political narrative in India.
Kejriwal’s remarks came on the same day he met with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, urging for opposition unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election. This call for unity occurred amidst an ongoing dispute over the Centre’s ordinance that overturned a Supreme Court verdict on control of ‘services’.
The AAP had released its list of guarantees on March 30, while the Congress unveiled its manifesto on May 2. The AAP’s key focal points included providing 300 units of free electricity per month, 80% reservation for locals in jobs, 33% reservation for women in government positions, and free city bus rides. Additionally, if the AAP came into power, every woman above 18 years below the poverty line would receive ₹1,000 per month as an “empowerment allowance”.
In contrast, the Congress primarily targeted women and youth in their manifesto. Notably, Siddaramaiah’s new cabinet did not feature any women ministers. The party campaigned on five main pillars, which included offering 200 units of free power to each household, ₹2,000 to each woman heading a family through the Gruha Lakshmi project, ₹3,000 for two years to unemployed graduates, ₹1,500 per month for two years to unemployed diploma holders aged 18-25, and free travel for women in ordinary public transport buses across the state under the Shakti initiative.
Concerning the agriculture sector, the Congress proposed the Krishi Sarvodaya Nidhi, which allocated ₹1.50 lakh crore over five years for modernization, subsidies, loans, and insurance. Additionally, the party pledged to invest ₹50,000 crore over five years to enhance drinking water, sanitation, basic education, healthcare, and all-weather roads in villages, along with providing high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in every village panchayat.
While the manifestos of both parties shared similarities, the AAP, recently designated as a national party, failed to secure any seats in the state despite fielding 208 candidates. On the other hand, the Congress celebrated a resounding victory in the May 10 election, securing 135 seats in the 224-member assembly.
In summary, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accused the Congress of copying the AAP’s manifesto in the Karnataka assembly election. Kejriwal’s claim, made during a press conference, pointed out that the Congress’s success in the state could be attributed to their adoption of the AAP’s agenda. Despite the similarity in manifestos, the AAP failed to secure any seats, while the Congress emerged victorious, winning 135 out of 224 seats.