With the AAP winning the MCD mayoral poll on Wednesday, the party has its task cut out -- clearing three garbage landfill sites, ensuring a corruption-free civic body and tackling the stray-animal menace.
These were among the "10 guarantees" that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised to the people of Delhi in the run-up to the December municipal elections.
Shelly Oberoi of the AAP defeated the BJP's Rekha Gupta by 34 votes in what was the new municipal House's fourth attempt to elect a mayor after its three previous meetings -- January 6 and 24, and February 6 -- were washed out amid acrimonious exchanges between the AAP and the BJP over voting rights to aldermen (nominated members).
"We will all work together to fulfil the 10 guarantees given by our party. The priority will be to improve schools, hospitals, parks. We will work for the beautification of Delhi and all the 250 councillors will work towards it," Oberio told PTI after winning the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD )mayoral elections.
It was in November that AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the 10 guarantees for the residents of the national capital.
Clearing of the city's three garbage landfill sites -- Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa -- in a time-bound manner was a key election promise of the AAP and the party had targeted the BJP over the issue, and accused it of turning the city into a "garbage mountain" during its tenure in the MCD.
"Even though our team will officially work from tomorrow, our councillors have been working in their respective areas. In the next three to four days, we will go to inspect all the landfill sites," Oberoi said.
Under the first guarantee, Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had said Delhi's garbage landfill sites would be cleared and the city would be beautified.
In the run-up to the municipal elections, the party's leaders had also said that they would adopt new technologies, rope in experts and install more machines to clear the sites of garbage.
The second guarantee pertains to getting rid of corruption in the MCD, while the third, fourth and fifth guarantees included solving the parking crisis, ending the stray-animal menace and repairing roads under the civic body.
Under the sixth guarantee, the party has promised to beautify schools, dispensaries and hospitals of the MCD that are in disrepair, while under the seventh guarantee, the party plans to transform Delhi into a city of parks.
The eighth guarantee is regularisation of contract workers, and the ninth and tenth guarantees pertain to easing the woes of traders and hawkers.
Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal, also from the AAP, also echoed similar views as Oberoi and said the priority would be to work on the 10 guarantees.