Ahead Of Punjab Polls, Arvind Kejriwal Promises Free Power, Bill Waiver
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has promised Punjab a big incentive for votes in the coming assembly elections — 24-hour electricity, 300 units free for each family and a waiver on previous power bills. Pointing to Delhi, where he made similar promises ahead of polls, Mr Kejriwal said, “This is Kejriwal’s promise, not Captain’s vows. We deliver our promises. Captain’s promises haven’t been fulfilled even after 5 years”.
Speaking at Chandigarh’s Punjab Bhawan, the Delhi Chief Minister — who has been trying to add Punjab to his bag — said if AAP wins in Punjab, the power bill waiver promise will be met immediately.
Every household in the state will also get free electricity up to 300 units. “By doing this, around 77 per cent to 80 per cent people of Punjab will have zero electricity bill,” he said.
The promise of 24X7 power supply, however, might take up to three years to meet, he warned his audience.
Punjab generates surplus electricity, but has hours-long power cuts across the state. On top of it, many people get inflated bills, he said.
“A person with two lights and a fan gets electricity bills of Rs 50,000 a month. How is this even possible? This is wrong. This will end with immediate effect. Not just that, all old arrears and pending or outstanding bills will be cancelled. No one has to pay old bills,” he added.
Pointing to Delhi, he said the city does not generate any electricity but draws power from different states.
“But still, the electricity cost in Delhi is among the lowest in the country. How is this being done? And why should it not be done in Punjab too?” said the Delhi Chief Minister, who won a second straight term in the national capital earlier this year.
AAP, which attributes its Delhi victory to its work in the power and education sectors, have been trying to prepare the ground in Punjab. In this, it has been competing with the state’s Congress government, which also leans towards populist measures.
Mr Kejriwal’s reminder of the unfulfilled promises of the Amarinder Singh government is seen to be the Congress’s weak point in this election. A section of Congress leaders have rebelled against Mr Singh on this score. They have also demanded that the promises be met before the elections are held, setting off a crisis within the party.
AAP, ebullient after its victory in Delhi of 2015, had hoped to bag neighbouring Punjab two years later, but ended up with only 20 of the state’s 117 seats. The Congress swept to power with 77 seats, ending the 10-year rule of the Akali-BJP government.
