The BJP has unveiled the third and final segment of its Sankalp Patra (manifesto) for the Delhi Assembly elections, highlighting key promises such as the establishment of a welfare board for gig workers and granting property ownership rights to residents of 1,700 unauthorised colonies in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the manifesto at the Delhi BJP State office on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Addressing the gathering, Shah emphasised the BJP's track record of fulfilling promises, contrasting it with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which he accused of failing to deliver on its commitments. He reiterated the party's pledge to address critical issues impacting Delhi's residents, positioning the BJP as a party of action and accountability. “The BJP manifesto is made of trust and not lies,” he said.

As part of its youth-focused initiatives in the Sankalp Patra, the BJP has promised to create 50,000 government jobs and 20,000 self-employment opportunities for young individuals in the capital. Additionally, the party has pledged to establish a welfare board catering to gig workers and textile sector employees, offer scholarships for their children, and provide financial security with ₹10 lakh insurance cover and ₹5 lakh accident cover.

Addressing environmental concerns, the BJP criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its failure to tackle the pollution of the Yamuna River and Delhi's deteriorating air quality. The manifesto includes a commitment to clean the Yamuna within the next three years.

Further, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that the BJP would grant property ownership rights to residents of 1,700 unauthorised colonies, providing relief to a significant portion of Delhi's population.

“Previously, [residents of] these colonies did not have permission to construct, buy or sell. Now, by granting them full ownership rights and aligning with the Ministry of Housing’s regulations and Delhi’s by-laws, we will give them the right to construct and sell.”

In a move to further address property rights, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that ownership rights would also be extended to those residing in refugee colonies, including Rajendra Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Kingsway Camp, which were established post-Partition.

Shah also highlighted the issue of over 13,000 shops in the capital that had been sealed for various violations. He promised that the BJP would collaborate with legal experts to explore avenues for reopening these shops within the next six months.

Additionally, the BJP pledged an investment of ₹20 crore to develop a comprehensive public transport network. A significant aspect of this plan includes converting 13,000 buses into electric buses, aiming to make Delhi a 100% electric bus city under the BJP's governance.

Shah also committed to eradicating the practice of manual scavenging, marking it as a priority for the party. Highlighting initiatives to promote tourism in the capital, the BJP has promised a collaborative Mahabharata corridor with the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments and a Yamuna riverfront similar to the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat.  Shah said “I would like to invite AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal to join us after three years of our government to take a dip in the Yamuna with his family.”

The party leader further said if not for the Central government’s investments of ₹41,000 crore on building roads, ₹15,000 crore on laying railway lines, and ₹21,000 crore on airports in the capital, “Delhi would have become uninhabitable for citizens.”

The BJP's first and second manifestos, unveiled by BJP President J.P. Nadda and Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur, outlined a range of promises aimed at improving the lives of Delhi's residents. These include ₹2,500 per month for women, free education from kindergarten to post-graduation, and the implementation of all Central government schemes.

Additionally, the BJP has committed to setting up welfare boards for auto-rickshaw, taxi, e-rickshaw drivers and domestic workers. Overall, the party's manifesto presents more than 20 promises for the capital, covering various aspects of social and economic welfare.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal described the BJP manifesto as an “old promise”. In posts on X, he said “This is the same promise that the Prime Minister made in 2015 and 2020...You don’t even hesitate to lie so openly. False promises in every election?”

He said Shah always hurled abuses at him. “Will abusing me lead to the development of Delhi,” he asked. The BJP had no vision for Delhi and had conceded defeat Kejriwal said.

Responding to the BJP's Sankalp Patra, Jangpura candidate and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia criticised the manifesto, labelling it yet another "Jumla Patra" (hollow promise). He questioned the feasibility of the BJP's promise to create 50,000 jobs in a city with a population of 2.5 crore residents.

Sisodia accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "mocking Delhiites" and contrasted the BJP’s claims with the achievements of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, highlighting Kejriwal's record of creating over 12 lakh jobs in the city post-COVID.

“Delhi needs lakhs and crores of jobs, not hollow promises,” he said, urging Shah to focus on ensuring the safety of Delhi’s residents, including women and traders, instead of peddling empty rhetoric.

Sisodia pointed out, “Delhi has a population of 2.5 crore people, and you are saying you will create 50,000 jobs. What about the rest, what will they do? This means you have no plan, no vision.”

“Then Amit Shah promised that shops would be unsealed. Who has been sealing shops for the past 20 years? Who has been snatching the livelihoods of poor shopkeepers? For the last 20 years, and especially in the past five-seven years, BJP leaders have been at the forefront of sealing shops. When AAP leaders opposed it, no one listened to them. Recently, after the AAP came to power in Delhi, when AAP leaders went to unseal the shops, BJP leaders stood in opposition, ensuring that it was not lifted.”

He further added, “Amit Shah said the BJP will bring electric buses to Delhi. Perhaps your team didn’t brief you here either. Delhi has already become the e-bus capital, not just in India but globally. Delhi has the largest fleet of e-buses in the world. No other city in the world has as many e-buses as Delhi. What new things are you promising?”

“You know very well that your government is not going to be formed. So, you are merely copying and pasting Arvind Kejriwal’s promises. You keep cursing Arvind Kejriwal in your press conferences, but in the end, you are the promising works he has already done,” he said.

The upcoming Assembly election is shaping up to be a tight contest between the AAP, BJP and Congress. The AAP is aiming for a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving for a comeback in the capital after failing to secure any seats in the last two terms. Meanwhile, the BJP is determined to break its 28-year-long absence from power and is making a strong push to form the next government.