DW BUREAU / New Delhi

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said the people of Delhi endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees, and asserted that the national capital would now stride firmly towards a "Viksit Bharat".

The prime minister's policies will now be implemented in Delhi, ensuring that the people benefit from welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and access to clean drinking water, he added.

Addressing a press conference at Haryana Bhawan, the BJP leader said the people of Delhi responded to AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's "deceitful promises" by voting him out of power.

The BJP swept to power in Delhi after more than 26 years, winning 48 of the 70 assembly seats. AAP won 22 seats while the Congress drew a blank in the polls held on February 5.

The people will also oust the "AAP-da (disaster)" from power in Punjab, like they did in Delhi, Saini claimed, referring to the Kejriwal-led party. With this historic victory, Delhi will now stride forward firmly towards a "Viksit Bharat", he added.

Extending his gratitude to the people of Delhi for ensuring the BJP's victory, Saini also congratulated all party leaders and workers for the part they played in it. He also acknowledged the senior leadership's role while crediting Modi for the saffron party's victory.

Taking a swipe at Kejriwal, the Haryana chief minister said the people of Delhi freed themselves from the clutches of a leader who had misled them. He alleged that the former Delhi chief minister made false promises and conjured up illusions of development but did nothing for the people.

Kejriwal repeatedly promised to clean the Yamuna by 2025 but, when he failed to deliver, resorted to making false accusations against Haryana, Saini said.

The BJP leader had been taking jibes at Kejriwal after the AAP supremo alleged that Haryana was "mixing poison" in the water supplied to the national capital through the river.

Kejriwal had promised to transform Delhi's roads into those resembling Paris, the Haryana chief minister said and claimed that he discovered long traffic jams and damaged road surfaces while campaigning in the city.

The Yamuna was also ignored, Saini alleged.

Kejriwal had claimed he would turn children from poor families into doctors and engineers but focused instead on opening liquor shops, he said.

Now, under the prime minister's leadership, Delhi will once again join the development race, he asserted.

"This is Modi's guarantee -- if he says something, he delivers," the Haryana chief minister said.

Noting that Delhi would progress alongside a "Viksit Bharat", he said the Yamuna riverfront would be beautified to such an extent that people would prefer visiting it over the Kartavya Path and the India Gate. The prime minister has committed to cleaning and beautifying the Yamuna, and extensive work will be conducted expeditiously to eliminate pollution, Saini said.

The Haryana chief minister also promised that metro services would be expanded, electric vehicles promoted, and several other initiatives implemented to improve Delhi's infrastructure and environment.

He recalled how he had stopped at a shop and enjoyed eating 'jalebis' with locals during the election campaign.

(editor@dailyworld.in)