Parmanand Pandey, Advocate, Supreme Court (Secretary General IPC)
Now when the dirt, din and bustle of Delhi elections have largely got subsided, it is necessary to have a close look as to what has happened during this period and how far it will auger well or ill for the people. There is no doubt that Mr Kejriwal’s party has got the astounding victory and has made the biggest party in the country, the BJP, to bite the dust. But this victory has not been obtained on any positive points, it has certainly vitiated the atmosphere.
The same Kejriwal, who was crying hoarse that the central government was creating all obstacles for him to work for the benefit of the people, suddenly six months before the elections started distributing the freebies to people. He announced free bus travels to women, free electricity up to 200 units across the board, free water supply and free pilgrimage to senior citizens. To top it all, he must have blown up more than a thousand crore rupees in advertisements.
It is also alleged that he has sold party tickets to rich and wealthy. Obviously, this is a big corruption although his politics started with the movement for rooting out the corruption. Free doles were poured on voters to obfuscate their capacity to make any decisions. This is certainly a matter of great concern and anxiety. During the previous regime of Shri Kejriwal, corruption was unabated, in fact, it went further deep down in the system of his government. He must be aware that the Distribution of doles cannot provide jobs or build infrastructure.
The much-trumpeted education systemin Delhi has reached its nadir, thousands of the posts of the teachers are lying vacant and no fresh appointment of the teachers have been made for many years. The condition of government schools has not improved a wee bit. Even the teachers in these schools do not have any faith in them as they do not send their own children to the schools of Delhi administration because there are no teachers to teach them. No MLA or important office bearers of his political party send their children to the government schools. On the other hand, the image and the education of Central Schools are by far better than most of the private schools. Even Mr Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia have not sent their children to any Delhi government school.
Therefore, it is expected that instead of indulging into tall talks the Kejriwal government will now concentrate on the better education of the children. In the last five years, no new schools or colleges have been opened in Delhi. So, all talks of the improvement in the education system in Delhi are nothing but empty rhetoric.
During this election, it will very difficult to miss the polarisation of Muslim votes. So much so, that in ShaheenBagh area an almost illiterate person Amanatullah Khan has been elected with the highest number of votes, while Mr Sisodia was panting for the even for the pyrrhic victory. So, to say that people have voted for a good education in Delhi is nothing but a downright lie. Anyway, Kejriwal is again saddled in power for five years, he must work for rooting out the corruption, improving the transport system, building the infrastructure, opening new schools, colleges and hospitals and starting for the welfare schemes instead of blaming for everything to a government which is ruling at the centre.