AAP Guarantees and its Bad copies by others

Last Updated: July 2023

AAP MANTRA: Guarantees Delivered via Good Governance

-Save Money with Anti-Corruption rule, Boost Economy and give Facilities to Citizens
-No Tax increases

Congress & BJP on AAP Guarantees

Earlier: "Unsustainable"
Congress and BJP have heavily criticised AAP guarantees on multiple occasions[1][2]

NOW: "Copy"
Both parties have been caught copying AAP's guarantees as discussed below

AAP Guarantees

AAP is consistent in Intent & Schemes across states

  • In 2020 Delhi elections, AAP introduced the revolutionary idea of Guarantees. Since then, the following guarantees have become a hallmark of AAP's political campaign
  • AAP has most of these these fulfilled in Delhi, Work in Progrees in Punjab and made similar above guarantees in all assembly elections
    e.g. Delhi[3], Punjab[4], Himachal[5], Gujarat[6] and Karnataka[7] between 2020-2023.
  • Right to Electricity: 24x7 free upto 300 Units electricity
  • Right to Water: 24x7 Upto 20,000L Free clean water
  • Women Empowerment:
    -- Free travel for women in state buses
    -- Monthly allowance: Rs 1000 for every 18+ women
  • Quality free education for all (which includes improving all government schools)
  • Quality Free healthcare: New Hospitals & Mohalla clinics
  • Free Teerath Yatra for elderly: For Spiritual needs
  • Unemployment allowance for youth

Congress attempts to copy AAP but fails

  1. Karnataka 2023 elections: Congress copied AAP Style guarantees & guarantee cards for campaign[8]
  • Wins Elections, BUT
    -- introduces new and complicated conditions after winning[9][10][11]
    -- burdens the citizens by increasing taxes[12]
    -- introduces application forms for mostly all schemes thereby paving way for more corruption and possibly excluding those poor who do not have adequate documentation[13][10:1][11:1]
    -- stopped infrastructure funds possibly to divert money for poll gimmicks[14]
    e.g.
    A. 200 unit free only if monthly bill less than average consumption of past year i.e.If consumer with average 100 units consumes 150 units of power in a month, then he has to pay 50 units bill despite being under 200 units [11:2]
    B. Free bus service only if[10:2]
    a. Travelling in certain bus types & routes, not all
    b. Men (Yes! men, not women) will have priority seating
    c. They might introduce need of 1 week advance booking for this[15]

"This year, we can't provide development"[16] - Dy CM Karnataka DK Shivkumar

  1. Himachal 2022 elections: Congress again copied Free electricity, Women allowance schemes [17]
  • Wins Elections, BUT
    -- none of these implemented yet[18]
  1. Rajasthan Congress Govt:
  • Months before elections, copies AAP & annouces poll gimmicks
    -- 100 unit free electricity (Why not 200 units like Karnataka?) and makes people stand in queues [19]
    -- Free Teerath Yatra for Elderly [20]
    ------ Poorly implemented; sans facilities, check the report on a viral video[21]
    -- Struggling to implement Free Bus travel before elections as no funds for ₹4,220 crore cost, 4000 new buses and 13000+ new staff[22]
    -- Eventually annouced 50% discount to women in desperation before elections[23]
  1. Madhya Pradesh elections: Congress is copying AAP again and announcing similar guarantees[24]
  • Aren't these same 'freebies' Congress criticised earlier?
  • Not Implemented across all states, Why? Only for electoral gains, not public welfare
  • But Would Congress be able to sustain these without AAP like Good Governance & Anti corruption policy?

BJP attempts to copy AAP guarantees but half heartedly

  1. Assam BJP Govt:
  • BJP announced cash for women, similar to AAP's women empowerment guarantee prior to Assam elections[25]
  1. HP BJP Govt:
  • BJP implemented 125 Units free electricity months before elections[26]
  • And 12 days after Himachal elections, Modi criticised the offer for free electricity during Gujarat elections[27]
  1. Madhya Pradesh BJP Govt:
  • Months before elections, annouces Rs1000 scheme for women[28]
  1. Goa BJP Govt:
  • Months before elections, annouces Free Teerath Yatra scheme[29]
  • But Would BJP continue them after elections are over?
  • Aren't these same 'freebies' they criticise even today?
  • Not Implemented across all states, Why? Only for electoral gains, not for public welfare

Mohalla clinic copies: Poor infra & very few in numbers

Several states have shown interest in copying the successful Mohalla clinic model, which AAP introduced in Delhi and later in Punjab but failed to do justice

  1. BJP announced Deen Dayal clinics in Gujarat along the lines of Mohalla clinics after first initially criticising it[30]
  2. Telangana in 2022 announced opening of medical facilities similar to Mohalla clinics[31]
  3. BJP announced creation of Namma clinics, modelled after AAP's Mohalla clinics, in 2022 in Karanataka[32]

References:

  1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bjp-congress-criticise-aap-over-free-electricity-residents-divided/story-41Yb7OTA2wTnYoHxVszLIJ.html ↩︎

  2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/opposition-parties-call-it-a-poll-stunt/articleshow/71811292.cms ↩︎

  3. https://twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1218806854777634816/ ↩︎

  4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/free-treatment-medicines-at-govt-hospitals-if-aap-voted-to-power-in-punjab-arvind-kejriwal/articleshow/86670509.cms ↩︎

  5. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/aap-promises-6-lakh-jobs-3k-unemployment-allowance-if-voted-to-power-in-himachal-101662726058015.html ↩︎

  6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarat-elections-arvind-kejriwal-announces-aaps-another-pre-poll-guarantee/articleshow/93949874.cms ↩︎

  7. https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/10-guarantees-in-aap-karnataka-manifesto-110602 ↩︎

  8. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-elections-2023-congress-throws-guarantee-card-hurdles-in-saffron-juggernaut/articleshow/99860959.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

  9. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/karnataka-steep-increase-in-power-bill-accompanies-congress-regimes-200-unit-freebie/articleshow/100800547.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

  10. https://curlytales.com/shakti-scheme-step-by-step-guide-to-how-women-can-avail-free-travel-in-karnataka/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/gruha-jyothi-zero-electricity-bills-for-consumers-who-utilise-lesser-units-than-eligible-average/article66934901.ece ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. https://www.timesnownews.com/bengaluru/tax-burden-on-bengaluru-property-owners-likely-to-increase-check-details-article-100616128 ↩︎

  13. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/ksrtc-1-2-crore-women-in-karnataka-set-to-apply-for-shakti-smart-cards/articleshow/100951849.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

  14. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/cm-siddaramaiah-government-halts-release-funds-previous-administration-pending-works-also-put-on-hold-bomai-karnataka-11684815699661.html ↩︎

  15. https://twitter.com/publictvnews/status/1670736281335398401 ↩︎

  16. https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-government-cant-provide-development-this-year-says-d-k-shivakumar-1240976.html ↩︎

  17. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/himachal-pradesh-congress-promises-free-electricity-rs-1-500-per-month-to-women-ahead-of-polls-11659968754723.html ↩︎

  18. https://www.news18.com/politics/low-on-funds-congress-dithers-on-poll-promises-in-himachal-pradesh-can-party-cross-hill-state-hurdle-8082625.html ↩︎

  19. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/register-at-inflation-relief-camps-for-free-power-up-to-100-units/articleshow/99746693.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

  20. https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jaipur/news/rajasthan-budget-2023-ashok-gehlot-govt-on-ayodhya-ramlala-darshan-130907994.html ↩︎

  21. https://hindi.sinceindependence.com/rajasthan/this-is-the-truth-of-rajasthan-governments-senior-citizen-pilgrimage ↩︎

  22. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/free-bus-travel-scheme-for-women-needs-financial-support-from-government-extra-buses-and-staff-report/article66916777.ece ↩︎

  23. https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/news/now-women-will-get-50-percent-discount-in-all-roadways-buses-131326750.html ↩︎

  24. https://www.livemint.com/news/in-mission-mp-congress-promises-free-electricity-rs-500-gas-cylinder-and-old-pension-scheme-11684752231846.html ↩︎

  25. https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bjp-led-assam-govt-launches-cash-transfer-scheme-orunodoi-ahead-of-assembly-elections-922119.html ↩︎

  26. https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/himachal-cm-launches-125-units-of-free-electricity-scheme/93843506 ↩︎

  27. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/gujarat/gujarat-polls-modi-counters-rivals-promise-of-free-power/articleshow/95739929.cms ↩︎

  28. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bhopal/chouhan-keeps-ladli-behna-promise-transfers-rs-1000-to-1-25-cr-beneficiaries-8656399/ ↩︎

  29. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/state-govt-plans-to-begin-free-pilgrimages-for-elderly-next-month/articleshow/87691248.cms ↩︎

  30. https://zeenews.india.com/india/gujarat-government-s-deen-dayal-clinic-is-a-replica-model-of-aap-governments-mohalla-clinics-2333177.html ↩︎

  31. https://theprint.in/india/opened-medical-facility-in-hyderabad-taking-inspiration-from-mohalla-clinics-telangana-cm/965943/ ↩︎

  32. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-to-set-up-438-namma-clinics-in-major-cities-towns/articleshow/92608161.cms ↩︎