
Delhi Assembly Elections 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in Delhi ahead of the Assembly elections on February 8, Tuesday said the national capital needs a government that will give direction and not resort to blame game. “People of Delhi say the country has changed, now it is time for Delhi’s transformation,” Modi said while addressing a rally in Dwarka.
Simultaneously in Delhi’s Jangpura, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit out at BJP-led Centre for not being able to provide jobs to the youth. “Not once during her three-hour Budget speech, did Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talk about the unemployment crisis our country is facing,” Rahul said.
After BJP and Congress, Aam Aadmi Party was last off the block to release its manifesto for the February 8 Delhi Assembly elections, focussing on quality education, health, clean water, and 24-hour electricity in the national capital. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while launching the manifesto, also talked of starting a ‘deshbhakti’ curriculum in schools, saying that such a programme would help to inculcate a sense of nationalism, love for armed forces and respect for the tricolour among the students.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s campaign schedule includes public rallies in Delhi Cantonment, Patel Nagar and Timarpur throughout the day. Later in the day, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will be on a campaign trail in Sangam Vihar’s DDA park while former prime minister Manmohan Singh will hold a meeting at Rajouri Garden assembly constituency.
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At a joint rally with broher Rahul Gandhi in Sangam Vihar, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi attacked PM Modi over the issue of job losses and took a dig at his 'sanyog-prayog' remarks on Shaheen Bagh, asking whether the rise in unemployment was a coincidence or his experiment.
'When PM comes to give a speech in front of you, he does not even make a mention of it. Can he tell us whether the job losses were 'sanyog or prayog'. Can he tell us that in 35 years, the unemployment rate is the highest, 'ye kya sanyog tha, ya prayog tha unka'? (Was it coincidence, or his experiment),' she said while addressing a rally.
(Express photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
In its manifesto, which was released today, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) promised that it would allow markets to remain open round the clock on a pilot basis if it is voted back to power in Delhi.
Following on Maharashtra's footsteps, Kejriwal said, "This will make Delhi a bustling, 24x7 hospitable city and also contribute to tourism and overall economy."
Last month, the Maharashtra government approved its 'Mumbai 24 hours' policy allowing malls, multiplexes and shops to remain open round the clock in the city from January 27.
Rahul Gandhi in Jangpura: Hatred is not in our history, ours is a country of love; they (BJP) talk of religion, but no religion talks of violence. In an interview, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was asked how many jobs were created? She said, "If I give you any number, Rahul Gandhi would go after me and say that I am lying". FM is not ready to speak about job creation.
"Those graduating from universities, colleges scared whether they will get jobs or not; it is fault of your PM and CM," Rahul says.
Rahul Gandhi in Jangpura: BJP's aim is to spread hatred in the society. The youth in the country wants to work. India is the only country that can compete with China. When I ask a young person what do they do, they say nothing. Show one BJP leader who raised 'Hindustan Zindabad' slogan in Pakistan, Congress' Jangpura candidate did that.
PM Modi in Dwarka: People of Delhi say the country has changed, now it is time for Delhi's transformation. Delhi does not need a government that gives an opportunity for enemies to attack us.
"You must punish those who insult armed forces, you should vent anger through your vote," Modi speaks at a rally in Dwarka. Modi attacks AAP for not implementing Ayushman Bharat scheme, asks if 'mohalla clinics' will work if Delhi residents fall sick outside city.
Addressing a rally in Delhi's Jangpura, former Congress president and party leader Rahul Gandhi takes a dig at Budget 2020 and claims during those three hours when the Budget was announced, not once did the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mention about unemployment. However, they cleared loans of 15 people worth crores.
PM Modi in Dwarka: Many schemes introduced by the central government in the last five years were opposed even before they were implemented in Delhi. The government in Delhi does not care for the lives of its people. Delhi needs a government that would resolve issues.
Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's progress will be dependent on decisions we make today.
"The upcoming Delhi elections are the first elections of this decade. This decade will belong to India. India's development will depend on the decisions taken today. Delhi needs govt that will give direction and not resort to blame game," Modi said addressing a rally in Dwarka,
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking at an anti-CAA rally at Bongaon, claimed that the BJP-led Centre is firing bullets as they will not be able to win the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
-PTI inputs
Addressing an election rally in Kirari in northwest Delhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had started reciting the 'Hanuman Chalisa' and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi could be expected to follow suit. "Now Arvind Kejriwal has started reciting the 'Hanuman Chalisa'. In the coming days, you will see Owaisi reciting the same. This will certainly happen," Adityanath said.
Senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi's son Samir Dwivedi on Tuesday joined the BJP. Samir Dwivedi joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP general secretary Arun Singh. "I am joining a political party for the first time... I chose the BJP as I was inspired by the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," PTI quoted Samir Dwivedi as saying.
AAP in its manifesto: We will establish 24x7 markets on a pilot basis in key commercial areas where shops, restaurants, etc. can remain open round the clock.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenged the BJP to reveal the chief ministerial face for Delhi. "I would like to tell BJP that the people of Delhi want the BJP to declare a Chief Ministerial candidate and I am ready to debate with that person."
Apart from this, the party said
# Will start classes for personality development/English/soft skills (for undergraduates)
# Metro network to be expanded beyond 500 Kms
# Yamuna riverside to be redeveloped
# Streets to be redesigned. Pilot project on 40 km stretch to start with.
# No raid raj. Traders to be shielded from all kinds of extortions.
# Will put pressure on the Union govt to halt sealing
AAP also announced Rs 1 crore compensation for sanitation workers who died while cleaning sewers. The party in tits manifesto stressed on Jan Lokpal Bill, Delhi Swaraj Bill, doorstep delivery of ration, pilgrimage scheme to cover 10 lakh senior citizens.
AAP vows to provide clean water for all, women safety, ecucation for all. Manish Sisodia, while launching the manifesto, said the AAP govt, if elected for the second term will, will start door-step delivery of ration and a 'Desh Bhakti' programme to induce feeling of nationalism.
AAP releases its election manifesto, lays key focus on sanitation, education, health, and environment.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday asked a gathering in West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar: “Would you do work that will bring prosperity in this nation or in Pakistan?” Campaigning for BJP’s Uttam Nagar candidate in Bindapur, he said that Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal “becomes glad when Pakistan is happy”.
Adityanath was speaking in the context of the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He said that when the Article was scrapped, Kejriwal and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi were “speaking the same language” as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had termed the move “illegal” and liable to further spoil relations between the two nations. Read more...
Riding on the goodwill of work done in schools in his constituency, sitting MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s popularity in Patparganj is strong.
Patparganj has the largest number of voters among the East Delhi constituencies, with over 2,14,360 electors in the 2015 assembly election. It has a mix of middle-class localities such as I P Extension, Mayur Vihar Phase I and II; unauthorised colonies of Mandawali, Khichripur, East and West Vinod Nagar and Pratap Nagar; and slums such as Ravi Dass Camp, Nehru Camp, Khokha Patri and Shastri Mohalla. Read more...
With little publicity, the BJP Delhi has launched a new “experimental” content sharing app called Kamal Konnect, to send content “that has a lot of masala”, the party’s tech developers told The Indian Express. Launched a month ago, the simple content feed app now has more than 10,000 downloads and was trending on third place in user engagement on app stores.
Sources aware of the application’s development said it reached almost 4,000 downloads in 20 days. They said they had motivated party workers to download the app by saying that AAP’s IT cell had been managing to make content viral, while BJP Delhi was lagging behind. The app only highlights between six-ten posts a day, chosen by a small group of 15 party workers. After 48 hours, the posts are taken down and new ones are chosen. Read more...