'Electricity bill is zero, water bill is zero, Kejriwal is hero' ... '200 units electricity free', '300 units electricity free' ...
Similar slogans and promises are heard in Delhi these days.
As the Delhi Assembly elections drew near, electricity and water prevailed in Delhi that issues like pollution, roads, education and illegal colonies became windy.
The Aam Aadmi Party made electricity and water the main issue of elections.
In August, 2019, the Delhi government had announced to give 200 units of electricity free, that is, electricity bill will be zero for spending up to 200 units.
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| Why do the people of Delhi like the issue of electricity and water? |
Promise to give electricity free
In the last few months, people's electricity bills have also come to zero. A month after this, in September, he announced the 'Chief Minister Renter Meter Scheme'.
Now the situation is that Congress and BJP have also promised to give electricity free to the people.
The Congress has promised to provide up to 300 units of electricity free in its manifesto. Subsidies will be given for the use of more units than this.
Talking about water, at this time the Delhi government is giving up to 20 thousand liters of water.
At the same time, Congress has also promised a similar exemption. Cashback has also been arranged in water.
Issue of corruption
The BJP is also repeatedly saying in its election speeches to maintain the existing exemption in electricity and water.
The issue of electricity and water was also important in the last assembly elections.
When the Aam Aadmi Party stepped into politics, it attacked the Congress with electricity and water.
The party raised the issue of expensive electricity bills and corruption in Delhi.
The capital Delhi, which repeatedly talks about making the world class city, where people come in search of higher education and jobs, where issues like pollution, transportation, women safety and law system keep on coming up from time to time but elections come soon Why do electricity and water become the most important for Delhiites?
Public vs Private Benefits
For this reason, senior journalist Pradeep Singh believes that any issue that matters to the people is related to their personal benefit.
Pradeep Singh says, "Road, pollution is an issue that will benefit the public. Its benefit will not be directly visible in private life. But, electricity-water bill is something that people have to pay every month. This has an impact on their budget. So these issues have always been attracting people. "
"Talking of street lights in electricity itself will not have that much effect if it does not become a major problem in a particular area, or there is a huge problem of traffic jams or pits on the road which would cause trouble in commuting If it is, then it can become a public issue. "
"But, there is no such thing in Delhi at the moment. So when it comes to public and private interest, voters tend to prefer private interest only. When the agenda of personal interest is completed, then look at other issues. "
At the same time, senior journalist Arvind Mohan cites the administrative structure of Delhi as a big reason behind it.
Revenue Surplus State
Arvind Mohan said that in the matter of administration, there is very little work for the Delhi government. Many important responsibilities like law and order, land are handed over to the central government, while the Municipal Corporation has roads, parks and sanitation works, the Delhi government has very few things to give and perform to the public.
"This is not the case in other states, there is a lot in the hands of the state. Delhi is a state with revenue surplus, which means it earns more than the expenses. It has not been used in productive works but for free things. It's definitely easier to use. "
Apart from this, Arvind Mohan also explains the nature of people living in Delhi as a big reason for this.
He says, "Actually, Delhi is a city of relatively well-meaning people, babus. It is good to get it for free here. That's why they like free electricity and water. Then free is a word that helps people Meditation can be easily distracted. "
Why not in other states
Recently, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assembly elections have been held, but the issue of electricity and water has not been heard in them, while people have to pay electricity and water bills there too.
In response to the question of why this is so, Pradeep Singh says, "The issue of electricity-water also arises in other states. In 2003, BJP won elections in Madhya Pradesh on the slogan of electricity, road, water (BSP). It is not that electricity and water do not become an issue in every election in other states. "
"At different times, issues depend on people's mood and party's agenda. Before the elections, parties leave many issues in the air and try to find out who is getting more importance. Then that issue Pushes forward. "
Pradeep Singh says that it had happened so far in Delhi that the Congress had neither given free electricity or water nor promised it.
But, now people have got one thing, so they also want to show that they want this facility, irrespective of the party. Therefore, people are getting feedback on this and parties are also raising it.
Electricity and water during Congress
Electricity prices during the Congress were quite different. In the year 2013, you had to pay Rs 3.90 per unit up to 200 units, Rs 5.80 per unit till 201-400 units and Rs 6.80 per unit for 401-800 units.
Talking about water bill, a middle class family of four to five members used to get a bill of 300 to 400 rupees every month. Now the system has changed. But, in the 15 years (1998 to 2013) of Congress power, BJP never made it a big issue. These issues were still there but the main electoral issue was not.
Arvind Mohan says that problems like electricity-water supply, power theft and corruption were dominating at that time, which was obviously not as attractive.
He says, "There was a lot of privatization during the Congress time. Power and Jal Board had a lot of assets, they were all handover. At that time Arvind Kejriwal had raised the right issues like how to fix the value of this property. And corruption should be eliminated. "
"Privatization benefited, electricity supply improved and power theft also stopped, but in the future power prices definitely increased. Then Kejriwal lured people by reducing these prices which have become the most important today."
Why are the tenants together
A large number of those who vote in Delhi also belong to the tenants but the full benefit of electricity-water exemption does not reach them.
Many times the problems of tenants have arisen that electricity bill is charged from seven to eight rupees per unit and they are not shown even electricity bills.
Then, not only the landlords but also the tenants give importance to the issue of electricity and water in Delhi.
For this, Pradeep Singh says that it is true that the tenants do not directly benefit from it, but hope is a big thing. They hope that today the landlords have been made free, then tomorrow they can also benefit. Perhaps this is the reason why the Aam Aadmi Party announced the 'Chief Minister Renter Meter Scheme'.
How much electricity and water will last
In the last few days, the BJP has changed the electoral landscape by raising issues like aggressive election campaign and Shaheen Bagh.
Arvind Kejriwal was still talking about electricity-water and education system and was avoiding saying anything about CAA and Shaheen Bagh. But the BJP has repeatedly made the Aam Aadmi Party very uncomfortable by talking about nationalism and Shaheen Bagh.
In such a situation, which issue will be chosen by the people, it will be worth watching. On this, the opinion of analysts also appears divided.
Where Pradeep Singh says that electricity and water had made the Aam Aadmi Party the most important issue at one point of time and it was so prevalent that the BJP put full force to change the issue. The BJP has also succeeded in this and has overpowered issues like its naturalistic nationalism, Hindutva and Shaheen Bagh.
But, Arvind Mohan says that the BJP came too late. In a week, they cannot have a special effect on the minds of ordinary people. People also understand that this is an election game. However, he has convinced Arvind Kejriwal a little that he cannot leave Shaheen Bagh as a traffic problem. However, Shaheen Bagh will not become a bigger issue than this.
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