With the Delhi Assembly elections just around the corner, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday released the party’s manifesto, placing a strong emphasis on the issues of the middle class, which he claimed has been neglected by successive governments. In a press conference held at 12 PM, Kejriwal highlighted that his government would prioritize the well-being of middle-class families, especially senior citizens.
“We’ve had 75 years of governance, but the middle class has been crushed under the weight of taxes and unfulfilled promises,” Kejriwal said, adding that the middle class has essentially become the “ATM of the government.” He accused the Centre of doing nothing to uplift the middle class, and criticized the existing governments for using taxes as a “weapon” against them.
#WATCH | #DelhiElections2025 | Delhi: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal says, "… We demand that the next Budget of the country be dedicated to the middle class. Today, I am making 7 demands to the central government… 1st, the education budget should be increased to 10%… pic.twitter.com/Xg0AifPAL8
— ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2025
In the seven-point manifesto, Kejriwal made several key demands from the Centre:
- Increase in Education Budget: Kejriwal proposed raising the education budget from the current 2% to 10% of GDP, with the inclusion of private schools in the allocation.
- Subsidies and Scholarships: He called for subsidies and scholarships for higher education, making quality education more accessible to middle-class families.
- Healthcare Spending: Kejriwal demanded an increase in the health budget to 10% of GDP, along with the removal of taxes on health insurance premiums to reduce financial burdens on families.
- Income Tax Exemption: The AAP leader also proposed increasing the income tax exemption limit from ₹7 lakh to ₹10 lakh, arguing that the current limit heavily impacts the middle class.
- Abolish GST on Essentials: Kejriwal urged the Centre to abolish the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on essential goods, which he believes disproportionately affects middle-class households.
- Retirement Benefits: Kejriwal stressed the need for a robust retirement plan for senior citizens, which should include free healthcare across both private and government hospitals.
- Senior Citizen Railways Concession: He also called for the reintroduction of senior citizen discounts on train fares, which were removed in recent years.
Kejriwal criticized political parties for their neglect of the middle class and reiterated his commitment to making these issues a focal point of his party’s agenda. “We will ensure that the voice of the middle class is heard and their issues are addressed in the upcoming parliamentary sessions,” he added.