Congress targets BJP, AAP on pollution, governance ahead of Delhi Bypolls

Just days before voting in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by-elections, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav criticised both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for failing to address the city’s core problems, including pollution, water quality, transport, pensions and law and order.

Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Yadav, urged voters to reject what he called “politics of lies, deceit and corruption,” saying both parties had allowed Delhi’s infrastructure and public welfare systems to deteriorate during their tenures. A video shown during the briefing compared what Congress described as the development-focused governance under Sheila Dikshit with the city’s decline under the BJP and AAP.

Yadav claimed the Dikshit-led Congress government had created a world-class green city, which he said has been undone over the past 12 years. He highlighted the government’s efforts in expanding Delhi’s green cover, shifting public transport to CNG, investing in schools, hospitals, and flyovers, and building 56,000 houses for the urban poor. “But today, Delhi is struggling with deadly pollution, garbage mounds, broken roads, a collapsing transport system and stalled pensions,” he said.

Citing poor air quality, Yadav referenced data showing 17,188 deaths in a year in Delhi due to pollution. He accused the BJP-led administration of issuing statements instead of taking action, noting the city’s Air Quality Index remains above 400. He also criticised the lack of school closures despite reduced government office attendance due to hazardous air quality.

Congress leaders also targeted the BJP-run administration over crime and women’s safety. All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba referred to a recent US advisory on women’s safety in Delhi, highlighting incidents of molestation, snatching and assault, and said the government has remained silent.

AICC Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin accused both the BJP and AAP of undermining employment opportunities created during previous Congress governments. He added that while the November 30 bypoll results may not change the larger political landscape, they will reflect public sentiment on corruption and anti-poor policies.

Former Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam criticised changes in the education system, alleging that the AAP government had misled students from poor families by reserving half the seats in Ambedkar Schools (formerly Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas) for private school students. He also opposed the BJP’s decision to rename these schools as CM Shree.