Will address problem of water scarcity: Harsh Malhotra

Harsh Malhotra, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha candidate from East Delhi, has promised to solve the problem of the lack of steady water supply in the area. 

“If he (Kuldeep Kumar) cannot solve it [despite Aam Aadmi Party being in charge of Delhi Jal Board], then I will do it,” said Malhotra during an interview with Patriot.

Malhotra is pitted against Aam Aadmi Party’s Kuldeep Kumar. 

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Presently, the BJP candidate is serving as one of the general secretaries of the Delhi State BJP, while earlier, he had spent a significant amount of time in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), first as a councillor and then as the Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). He was elected Mayor in 2015. 

During his tenure as Mayor, he was also appointed as the Chairman of the Education Committee for three years in 2017. However, he has set his sights on the Lok Sabha seat, and wants to fix the water supply issue in East Delhi. 

“The provisions for water supply are with the state government. (Arvind) Kejriwal had announced free water and free electricity for all. But leave alone free water, even the quality is so bad that nobody can drink it,” he said. 

Moreover, he accused the Delhi government of withholding funds which were slated to be used to redevelop and solve the problem caused by the Ghazipur landfill. 

“When I was the Mayor in 2015-16, they would stop funds meant to fix the landfill problem. They do not want development. They would only block roads and have always tried their best to stop any development work that would make lives of the public simpler,” said Malhotra. 

He added that Gautam Gambhir, during his tenure as the Member of Parliament, used his “own [MP] funds” to reduce 17 metres of the landfill site with 20 turmoil machines. 

It is because of this that Malhotra is confident of emerging victorious and is also hoping that BJP will sweep all the seats. 

“The people of East Delhi and entire Delhi will support good governance of PM Modi through multiple poverty alleviation programmes and schemes which have touched the hearts of all 140 crore citizens in one way or another. Thus, BJP will secure all the seven seats in Delhi, and NDA will cross 400 seats in the country. Modi will become PM for the third time,” he said. 

Malhotra emphasised that he will focus on development projects. 

“It was in Modi’s tenure that the government took the initiative of building the stretch from Nizamuddin to Ghazipur on the Meerut Expressway, helping in reducing [traffic] congestion and pollution. Now, we can cross the stretch in seven minutes when once it would take around 35-40 minutes. Moreover, 70-80% of the Akshardham-Dehradun expressway has also been constructed. Even the Rapid Metro between Delhi and Meerut will pass through East Delhi. We will be taking the development forward under Modi’s guidance,” he added.

He also said that despite the Aam Aadmi Party attempting to project Kejriwal as “Bhagat Singh”, they have not been able to garner any sympathy. 

“He is inside the jail because of corruption. He is trying to project himself as Bhagat Singh but he has committed a major scandal through the liquor scam. Even the High Court has denied his bail, so I do not think that Delhi’s public will give sympathy votes to a corrupt person,” he said.