Delhi polls: Out to woo RWAs, AAP candidate promises Rs 20 lakh for each society

Chief Minister Atishi personally interacted with RWA members at the event, endorsing the party’s candidate, Deepak Singhal.

The event, held at Casa La Marvella Banquet Hall in the evening, began with enthusiastic chants of ‘Aam Aadmi Party Zindabad’. Amid the celebratory beats of dhols and nagadas, 38-year-old Singhal made a grand entrance. He greeted several RWA members, announced the names of association presidents, and invited them onto the stage to distribute “promise letters” to representatives of societies.

Addressing the gathering, Singhal highlighted the challenges faced by local residents. “Our apartments manage everything on their own but still don’t receive any government benefits. Over the past two months, I have visited every apartment in Vishwas Nagar. For three years, BJP representatives have come here, but no work has been done. In fact, no work has been done in the last 12 years. People are unhappy and disappointed,” he said.

He spoke about pressing local issues, such as broken swings, lack of streetlights, and missing bumpers on the roads. To address these, he pledged an annual development fund of Rs 20 lakh for each RWA, drawn from his MPLAD fund, if elected.

Taking on sitting MLA and BJP candidate Om Prakash Sharma, who has represented Vishwas Nagar since 2013, Singhal said: “The MLA fund has a budget of Rs 15 crore, which could have been used to achieved so much. Yet not a single rupee has been spent on our apartments. Residents had to install boom barriers, maintain parks, and repair roads on their own.”

Singhal promised to allocate budgets for each locality and apartment in his constituency. “Every Vihar will get a dedicated budget, and each apartment will receive its own funds to carry out developmental activities. If you vote for me, I will serve you for the next five years as your son and your brother,” he added.

Chief Minister Atishi, in her address, emphasised the importance of voting wisely. “During elections, many candidates make promises, some lie, and others mislead. Your vote is cast in a day, but its impact lasts for five years. A good MLA brings progress, while the wrong choice leads to regret…,” she said.

Highlighting Singhal’s commitment, she assured residents that he would always be accessible. Drawing comparisons, she said, “The MLA fund is the same for everyone. If you visit my constituency, you will see RWAs with new gates, benches on streets, and functional streetlights. So how is it that I, (AAP leaders) Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Arvind Kejriwal got so much work done, but the Vishwas Nagar MLA could not?”

In the 2013 elections, Sharma had won the Vishwas Nagar seat with a 38% vote share. His vote share had increased in subsequent elections – 45% in 2015 and 52% in 2020, when Singhal had stood second with 39%.

A restaurateur and owner of Singla’s and Singla Sweets chains, Singhal said he is determined to turn the tide in AAP’s favour.

Many RWA representatives at the event expressed their support for the AAP. Speaking from the stage, Dr B D Agarwal, former principal of DPS R K Puram and a member of a society RWA, said, “Change is sometimes good. For day-to-day problems, there should be someone who can understand issues, someone with a different perspective.”

Many others, however, voiced contrasting views. “We do not want the freebie culture. We want our children to do well so that they can earn for themselves… We want salaries to increase… Union government’s promise to implement the Eighth Pay Commission from next January is making me lean toward the BJP,” said the president of a RWA.