AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal with the party candidate from Adarsh Nagar, Mukesh Kumar Goel, at a rally on January 21, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (January 21, 2025) promised to regularise ironing stands and resume the commercial license for dhobis if his party voted is to power in the Delhi Assembly election.

Announcing “seven guarantees” to the dhobi community, he said the government would also provide electricity and water at domestic rates, quality education, scholarships, and skill training opportunities, and design welfare schemes for the elderlies of the community.

“I announce that if our government is formed, the Delhi government will establish a ‘Dhobi Samuday Welfare Board’. The dhobi community does not have a single platform to voice their issues,” Mr. Kejriwal said at a press conference.

He said the board would help by receiving suggestions and formulating policies for the community.

“Youth from the dhobi community will be provided skill training for their traditional profession or other trades so that they can improve their livelihood and raise their standard of living. The dhobi community will also be informed about all the schemes of the Delhi government from time to time to ensure they benefit from them,” he added.

Power cuts

Later in the day, while addressing a rally at Adarsh Nagar in north-west Delhi, the AAP chief alleged that Delhi will again face power cuts if the BJP comes to power.

“If you press the lotus button [BJP’s symbol], you’ll see the electricity has gone off as soon as you reach home. But if you press the right button, the electricity will continue 24 hours a day,” Mr. Kejriwal alleged.

He said not only round-the-clock electricity, the BJP will also “end all schemes launched by AAP in the past 10 years”.

“Look, we’ve improved schools so much that in a child’s education, a family now saves about ₹5,000 a month. For two children, it’s ₹10,000. Add ₹4,000 saved from electricity bills and ₹2,000 from water bills. It’s at least ₹18,000–20,000 saved monthly,” Mr. Kejriwal claimed.

“But running your household will become impossible if you press the wrong button. You’ll have to leave Delhi. It will become so expensive that managing household will be out of reach,” he alleged.