After announcing a slew of freebies in the past three months – free bus rides for women, free electricity up to 200 units and waiver of arrears of water bills – the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has asked its MLAs and leaders to highlight the sops in the run-up to the assembly election due in early next year. Party members told ET that concerted efforts will be made to project AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as the “only face of development in the capital”.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the party had focused on its achievements in transforming government-run schools and establishing mohalla (neighborhood) clinics. “We are looking at extending our development initiatives to other fields and voters who may not have directly benefited from the health and education schemes,” said a party member, who did not wish to be identified. On Wednesday, Kejriwal announced an anti-dengue campaign and highlighted that there had been an 80 percent reduction in dengue cases in the past three years.

मोदी सरकार की कोशिशों के बावजूद नहीं रुक रहे बैंक फ्रॉड, 1 साल में 15% बढ़े केस
In 2015, Delhi was hit by an outbreak of dengue with more than 15,000 cases and Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia were at the receiving end of the BJP-led opposition for being unable to control it. Within an hour of Kejriwal’s announcement, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP, alleging infighting in the party for the CM’s post, seeking to establish Kejriwal as the only “credible” face in Delhi.