NEW DELHI: As Delhi decides to elect its new government on February 6 this year amid 11-years of incumbent AAP government, that many say is facing an uphill-battle over a raft of graft scandals, The New Indian team has pitched its tent to speak to voters in key constituencies.
24 hours after the announcement, when a team of The New Indian went to the New Delhi constituency – where AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is locked in battles with former CM’s son and BJP candidate Parvesh Verma and former CM Shiela Dikshit’s son Sandeep — local businessman Rakesh Jain couldn’t contain his frustrations, highlighting issues in healthcare and utilities.
Slamming the treatment in Delhi government hospitals, Jain, quipped, “Delhi government hospital doctors often don’t treat their patients well; they act as if they are the chief ministers themselves,”.
Jain didn’t stop there. He said Kejriwal had promised 24-hour water supply, but “we only get 3 hours in the morning and evening, often cut short”.
This discrepancy between promise and reality is becoming a recurring grievance among Delhi residents, raising questions AAP’s infrastructure projects that once brought it to power in 2015 and 2019.
Soon, he was joined by a similar cohort of people who rubbished Kejriwal government’s mohalla clinics as an optics that had little to offer in reality.
Further, Jain pointes out deficiencies in the Mohalla Clinics, a flagship initiative of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He remarked, “There are no doctors in Mohalla Clinics; a compounder manages things and says medicines are unavailable,”.
Jain’s sentiment reflects a growing broader dissatisfaction among citizens regarding the quality of care in public healthcare facilities by the AAP government.
While the Directorate General of Health Services provides avenues for grievances, many feel that their complaints remain unaddressed.
These clinics recentlly came under scrutiny following an Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) investigation, which found that out of approximately 2.2 million tests conducted by two private labs, over 65,000 were either fake or manipulated. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized upon these findings, accusing the AAP government of corruption and mismanagement.
Tapan Choudhary, a worker at a local private company, expressed concerns about the Delhi government’s free bus ride scheme for women, stating, “Kejriwal made bus fare free for women long back, after which today we have to wait for too long for buses; bus services are disrupted heavily.” This remark echoes widespread frustration among commuters, who claim that the free ride scheme has led to overcrowding and a decline in the quality of bus services.
The BJP has capitalized on these issues, organizing protests against the alleged scams in the Mohalla Clinics and questioning the AAP’s governance. A local resident Manoj noted, “BJP and locals protested alleged scams in Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics over fake medical tests and corruption.” In response, the AAP has introduced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, promising financial incentives to women. Critics, however, view this move with skepticism. Manoj commented, “AAP’s promise to pay women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana is a blatant bid to capture the women voter base.”
As the election approaches, these issues are poised to play a significant role in shaping voter sentiment.
The AAP, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, faces the challenge of addressing these criticisms and restoring public confidence. Meanwhile, opposition parties are leveraging these shortcomings to galvanize support and question the current administration’s competence.
The electorate’s response to these developments will be crucial in determining Delhi’s political landscape in the forthcoming election.