‘All through taxpayer’s money' – YouTuber slams ‘freebie’ flats for poor launch by PM Modi ahead of Delhi Election 2025

Delhi Election 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the 1,675 newly-constructed flats for slum dwellers of the national capital ahead of Delhi Assembly Election 2025. Modi also handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries at ‘Swabhiman Apartments’ in Ashok Vihar neighborhood in Delhi.

The inauguration by Modi marked the completion of second successful In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The objective of the project, a government note said, is to provide the residents of the JJ clusters (slums) in Delhi with a better and healthier living environment equipped with proper amenities and facilities.

The inauguration was also seen as the launch of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll campaign for Delhi Assembly Election 2025.

‘Freebie Agenda’

Prominent YouTuber Akshat Shrivastava took to social media flaying what he called the ‘freebie’ agenda of political parties. At ₹75 lakh each, the market cost of these ‘free' houses would be around ₹1,256 crore, Akshat said.

“All will be done through taxpayer's money. Many of whom are struggling to pay their own EMIs,” he said.

Akshat is an entrepreneur and investor with about 2.23 subscribers on You Tube. He is the founder of ‘Wisdom Hatch’ that provides online courses and community membership to those interested in investing and real estate, according to his LinkedIn profile with 761,517followers.

“Irony. Almost every political party has given up on the development agenda. And, is going full-force on freebie agenda. I am sometimes scared to think: what will happen to our country in the next 10 years :( There seems no hope,” he said in the post on X.

The government, however, said in an official note that that for every ₹25 lakh spent on construction of a flat, eligible beneficiaries pay less than 7 per cent of the total amount, comprising ₹1.42 lakh as a nominal contribution and ₹30,000 for five years of maintenance. Going by the government numbers, the construction cost of 1,675 flats would be around ₹418 crore.

'Strong Vote Bank'

Slum dwellers are a powerful vote bank in the national capital, where assembly elections are due in February.

Over three million people live in Delhi’s 750 slums. Half of them are registered voters, and they have been mostly supporting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the last decade. 

In 2020, around 61 per cent of slum dwellers voted for AAP, helping it win 62 seats, according to rough estimates. Prior to that, 66 per cent voted for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Before AAP, slum dwellers voted for the Congress party.

“There are over 4 lakh jhuggis in Delhi, 15 lakh people need houses, and today BJP is trying to pat their backs for constructing 1,700 homes that too in five years,” Kejriwal said on Friday after Modi inaugurated the newly-constructed houses.

AAP's flagship schemes

The AAP government in Delhi is known for banking on its flagship schemes – direct subsidy mainly on electricity, water and bus rides for women – for tapping vote banks.

The electricity subsidy claims 77 per cent of the state subsidies, followed by water (14 per cent) and free public transport for women (6 per cent).

The Delhi government has spent ₹24,944.65 crore in the last 10 years on power subsidies. The government allocated ₹3,250 crore for the 2024-25 financial year (FY) for the scheme. In the revised budget estimates for 2024-25, the government has allocated an additional ₹350 crore for the power subsidy scheme.

The significance of the AAP government schemes can be gauged from the fact that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – the two opposition parties – have promised to continue the free electricity scheme  if they come to power, defeating the ruling party in the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections 2025,

Poll Sops

Keeping the upcoming polls in mind, the national capital's ruling party has announced five welfare schemes targeting women, Dalits and senior citizens. It also promised 24×7 water supply.

The new schemes include Pujari Granthi Samman Rashi Scheme, which promises ₹18,000 a month salary for Hindu and Sikh priests. Other than this, AAP has promised to give ₹ 2,100 per month to women and free healthcare for senior citizens if it returns to power in the national capital.

The Election Commission of India has not announced the dates of Delhi Assembly Election 2025. The term of the current assembly in Delhi expires on February 23, 2025.

The AAP, led by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is seeking to retain power in Delhi for a third time. The party won assembly elections in 2015 and 2020. AAP won 67 seats in 2015 and 63 in 2020 in the Delhi Assembly.