The BJP today began its campaign for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, promising at a well-attended rally that if voted to power the party would regularise unauthorised colonies and slums in the city.
The problem of unauthorised colonies is a major one in Delhi, with courts having frequently intervened in the matter. Senior BJP leader L K Advani said: “Villages were ignored by the governments (after Independence) and people had to migrate to cities. Though these people got odd jobs they did not get a roof over their heads. This lead to building of slums.”
He also said that if elected to power, Delhi would also follow the Modi model of development. He praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his pledge to remove all slums in his state. “Today, under Modi,
Gujarat is the most progressive state. He is building homes where these slums existed.”
The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate also tried to win over the significant Bihari population in the capital when he mentioned the steps being taken by the BJP and NDA-ruled states to send relief to the flood-affected state.
“I have asked chief ministers of all the BJP and NDA-ruled states, especially those in coastal areas, to extend all possible support. I have asked Orissa and Karnataka to send boats to Bihar to rescue marooned people,” he said.
BJP President Rajnath Singh also spoke about the unauthorised colonies in the capital.
“I promise that if we come to power these colonies will be regularised,” he said. Party secretary and organiser of the rally, Vijay Goel, has held demonstrations to demand regularisation of these colonies. The party hopes to reap electoral dividends from around 40 lakh such people.
Delhi and three other states — Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — are to go into polls in November.
