NEW DELHI: As the BJP couldn’t get ‘desired’ political mileage out of the Centre’s decision to regularise 1,797 unauthorised colonies in Delhi, its local unit plans to launch a campaign to ‘educate’ about 40 lakh people living in such settlements.
The party leaders are holding talks to organise several activities, including a series of public meetings and distribution of leaflets among residents of these colonies, on the ground. According to senior Delhi BJP leaders, the decision to regularize colonies built on government land should be ‘adequately’ publicised and used as a trump card in the Delhi elections as the party can’t match freebies and subsidies being offered by the ruling AAP.
“The AAP government has been announcing measures-free water, power, and bus ride. We can’t do much on this front. Hence, as a counter, we must focus on the long-awaited decision on regularisation of 1,797 unauthorised colonies, cleared by our government at the Centre, which is a big thing in Delhi. The plots are being given by the DDA, which is a major change in the policy,” said a senior Delhi BJP leader.
The AAP and the BJP have been trying to outdo each other to take credit for the development as residents of unauthorised colonies make about 28 per cent of electorate in Delhi. Once Congress supporters, this chunk of voters shifted their loyalty, almost in its entirety, to the AAP in 2013 and 2015.
To draw attention of the people of 1,797 colonies and to highlight the matter appropriately, the Delhi BJP also plans to hold a ‘thanksgiving’ meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Another Delhi BJP functionary said regularisation of unauthorsied colonies hadn’t created a buzz for the party as was expected and in such circumstances, the party needed to go the people and ‘educate’ them.
“Discussion is taking place on how to educate the people about the truth because it is the BJP government, which did this. We will tell people how the AAP is trying to take credit of our work,” he said.