AAP flays poll promises of BJP, Cong, JD(S) calls them cheap imitations

Bengaluru: Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi MLA, Atishi Marlena, during her first visit to the soon-to-be-polled state of Karnataka, stated that the manifestos of the three main parties in the state, BJP, Congress, and JD(S), are mere imitations of the Aam Aadmi Party's manifesto.

Atishi, addressing the media at the party office, said that the BJP, Congress, and JD(S) are copying AAP's Delhi and Punjab manifestos, promising free electricity, building 24000 classrooms, "namma clinics," and guarantee card schemes.

They copy-cat only the schemes announcement, but their intention is to lure voters not to actually work or implement. For too long, the people of the state have witnessed schemes being announced with much fanfare, but with little or no implementation on the ground. Allocation of resources is being used as a tool to lure voters, but the true intention is not there.

According to Atishi, these parties lack the intent and willingness to provide these things. Atishi also highlighted the difference in education funding, pointing out that Delhi's government, under Arvind Kejriwal, allocates 25% of its budget for education, while Karnataka's government only allocates 12%. Without adequate funding, Atishi said, the government cannot improve infrastructure or provide high-quality teacher training.

Atishi raised the issue of regularising contract lecturers in Karnataka, saying that while 11,000 out of 18,000 college teachers in the state are contract lecturers with low pay, the Karnataka government is not regularising them, citing court orders as the reason.

However, Atishi noted that the AAP in Punjab has proven that a determined government can regularize contract teachers and has already regularized 9,000 teachers and is working to do the same for all. On the state of schools and educational institutions in Karnataka, Atishi stated that government schools in the state are in poor condition with inadequate classrooms, tin roofs, and lacking basic amenities such as toilets and drinking water, while Delhi's government schools have high-quality infrastructure.

AAP's impact in Delhi and Punjab is being noticed in Karnataka's election, as other parties are imitating AAP's manifesto promises of free electricity, guaranteed healthcare, improved education and more. However, the reality is that the current state of government schools in Karnataka is poor, with 40% of Class I students unable to read alphabets, and 37.3% of Class III students unable to read words, according to the Annual Status of Education Report. The people of Karnataka should choose a party that can make a real difference in improving their education and healthcare, she added.

"BJP, the ruling party, announced the opening of 'namma clinics' similar to Delhi's 'mohalla clinics.' However, with only 432 planned for a larger state compared to 500 in Delhi, it's seen as a pre-election stunt. Mohalla clinics offer 400 free diagnostic tests while Namma clinics only offer 15. BJP's promise to build 24000 classrooms is also seen as questionable as they've been in power but haven't acted on it yet. Private schools accuse the government of using their funds for renewals and clearances. All these points raise questions on BJP's commitment to healthcare and education," said Atishi.

"Congress has also promised 200 units of free electricity in Karnataka, but it is not offered in their ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, or Himachal Pradesh. JD(S) has promised quality government schools in all gram panchayats. The entire election agenda has been set by AAP as people seek change and are tired of corruption and lack of progress. Both Congress and JD(S) must prove their commitment by offering the same promises in all their ruled states before the Karnataka elections," stated Atishi. "As stated, people don't want a copycat. There's only one Puneet Rajkumar, and no one can replace him. Similarly, no one can replace AAP. Other parties may promise the same things, but only AAP has delivered. The people of Karnataka are aware of this and that's why our volunteers receive positive responses on the ground. I urge the people of Karnataka to choose an honest party that has delivered, and that party is AAP," She said.