Panaji, (Samajweekly) Launching a string of poll promises ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in Goa, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced free non-commercial electricity to the tune of 300 units, 24-hour power supply and free electricity for farmers if the party is voted to power in the coastal state.
The BJP has, however, slammed Kejriwal’s election promise, terming it as “poll gimmick”.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa on Tuesday, also said that the promises are not “chunavi jumla”, but a solemn guarantee by the party to the people of Goa.
“Each family will get 300-unit power free of cost per month. The bill will come to your home… 87 per cent of Goa will start getting a zero electricity bill. This is my guarantee,” Kejriwal said, adding that all the outstanding bills will be waived and the power billing system will start with a “clean slate”.
“We have done this in Delhi, we are not simply talking,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Chief Minister also said that Goa would receive 24-hour electricity supply without any power cuts.
“Before we came to power in Delhi, there were 7-8 hours of power cuts in the summer. There are problems in the distribution network in Goa just like Delhi. We changed the transformers and cables. It took two-and-a-half years, but today we get 24-hour electricity,” Kejriwal said while announcing free electricity for farmers.
The Delhi CM said that the move would ensure that women of the state — who hold household purse-strings — would be happy because more money would be saved.
Kejriwal also said that Goa’s politics is plagued by corruption and defection and said his party wants to change the culture of politics in the state on its head.
“Goa wants change. Goa wants clean politics,” the AAP national convenor said.
“Goa’s weather is beautiful. But your politics is very corrupt. Two years back, on July 10 (2019), 10 Congress MLAs switched over to the BJP. The people had given the mandate to the Congress but the government was formed by the BJP,” Kejriwal said.
“The party (BJP) that was given 13 MLAs, has 28 today. The party (Congress) which had 17 MLAs now has 5. So why have elections at all? Elections have become a farce. There is no meaning to hold elections. This is cheating. This is not right,” he said.
Reacting to Kejriwal’s announcement Goa BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavde said that AAP, which does not have a single MLA in the current state Assembly, should not fool the people of Goa with promises that cannot be fulfilled.
“They have no MLA and can hence promise anything. But the people of Goa have full faith in BJP. The picture will be clear in the coming elections… Delhi is Delhi and Goa is Goa… people will not fall for his election gimmick,” Tanavade said.
