Where is the Big Vision

Delhi BJP is in news on mainly two accounts recently – 1) There is a dharna/demonstration/walk to CM’s residence or 2) occasional rally on one of the most mundane issues, for instance, the so called high electricity charges. Before anybody jumps the gun on use of the term ‘so called’, I live in neighboring UP and average electricity charge/unit in Delhi is hardly 9% more expensive whereas the average per capita income of Delhi is almost 3 times compared to UP.

Does anybody know the agenda of Delhi BJP, once elected, apart from reducing the electricity charges by 30%? BJP finds it the most important issue being faced by Delhiites  simply because Arvind Kejriwal raised it. BJP Delhi unit, totally bereft of ideas couldn’t think of anything better. Nobody is denying that power sector needs better management but for Delhiites, with largely an improved power situation, do you think this is the ONLY issue?

Where is the comprehensive agenda for making Delhi a world class city? What are the innovative steps?

For instance, this being a rainy season, the issue that comes to the mind immediately is water logging on the streets. The insiders tell us that Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and drainage system is not actually with MCDs and is with Delhi government (you may find it bizarre but apparently that’s how it is) or some such round about arrangement is there. Therefore MCDs (run by BJP) can’t be held accountable for water logging, etc.-2. Can we come up with a simple and doable plan to harvest all this rain water which gets logged? The advantages are many fold, apart from demonstrating BJP’s ability to think out of box. What stops them from articulating this issue?

The messy state the transportation is in the city is for everyone to see. We now know that illegal buses ply incessantly on the city roads. These buses driven by rowdy and untrained drivers are not only a big accident hazard; these are a big security hazard too as evident in the Nirbhaya case. What stops BJP from articulating their plans for fixing this mess?

School and university admission is another hot button issue. Be it a nursery admission or issue of higher education, the education infrastructure in Delhi is in total mess and highly inadequate. It is not merely quantity but qualitative issue as well. One must study the psychological state of the parents, whose kids are due for nursery admission, to gauge the extent of the problem. This is a very non-trivial problem and involves serious issues like overall standard of education in the city state. We need a comprehensive vision to be able to tackle this problem with some innovative thinking? So piece meal solution, like fixing a new criterion for schools/colleges to admit kids in subsequent session etc. will not be able to solve the problem in comprehensive manner.

If we study each of these issues, they involve systematic reforms in every sector, be it infrastructure (that includes but not limited to power), health and education.

Can we hope from BJP to come up with a comprehensive strategy dealing with these issues being faced by the city? Or is it all about resume building exercise for various ‘aspirants’ by organizing all these meaningless dharna/gherao?

Sheila Dixit government, by indulging in various acts of omission and commission, has now presented a window of opportunity. By indulging in a rhetorical agenda, BJP is frittering away the obvious advantage.