“Delhi should have taught voters an important lesson. The AAP built its political identity around subsidised electricity, water, education and healthcare. These initiatives helped it establish a strong support base, particularly among lower-income households. Yet, after governing Delhi for a decade, the party suffered a major electoral defeat in February 2025, winning just 22 of the 70 Assembly seats while the BJP secured 48.
That defeat does not mean every welfare scheme was a failure. Nor does it prove that free electricity or public services are inherently wrong. It does, however, expose the limits of assuming that subsidies alone can guarantee political success. Voters also judge governments on governance, accountability, infrastructure, corruption allegations and their ability to deliver beyond campaign promises.
Kejriwal now wants Goans to believe that the same formula can transform Goa. But Goa is not Delhi. It has its own economic structure, geographical challenges, employment concerns and environmental pressures. Its tourism industry, mining sector, traditional occupations and local businesses need policies designed for the state, not a campaign template imported from another region.”
Arvind Kejriwal is back in Goa with a familiar political formula. Promise free electricity, financial assistance for women, free bus travel, health insurance and better facilities, and asks voters to trust the Aam Aadmi Party with their future. With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, the AAP national convenor has unveiled six guarantees, including 300 units of free electricity, Rs 3,000 monthly assistance for every woman, Rs 10 lakh health insurance for every family and free bus travel for women. He has also promised round-the-clock electricity, a sports ground in every village and the scrapping of Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act.
On paper, these promises sound attractive. Who would refuse cheaper electricity, financial security, better healthcare and affordable transport? But elections are not won merely by announcing benefits. The real question is whether these guarantees are financially sustainable, practically deliverable and backed by a credible plan. Goans must ask whether Kejriwal is offering a genuine development agenda or simply repackaging election carrots.
Delhi should have taught voters an important lesson. The AAP built its political identity around subsidised electricity, water, education and healthcare. These initiatives helped it establish a strong support base, particularly among lower-income households. Yet, after governing Delhi for a decade, the party suffered a major electoral defeat in February 2025, winning just 22 of the 70 Assembly seats while the BJP secured 48.
That defeat does not mean every welfare scheme was a failure. Nor does it prove that free electricity or public services are inherently wrong. It does, however, expose the limits of assuming that subsidies alone can guarantee political success. Voters also judge governments on governance, accountability, infrastructure, corruption allegations and their ability to deliver beyond campaign promises.
Kejriwal now wants Goans to believe that the same formula can transform Goa. But Goa is not Delhi. It has its own economic structure, geographical challenges, employment concerns and environmental pressures. Its tourism industry, mining sector, traditional occupations and local businesses need policies designed for the state, not a campaign template imported from another region.
The most striking promise is Rs 3,000 every month for every woman. That amounts to Rs 36,000 annually for each beneficiary. Even before considering the cost of free electricity, bus travel and health insurance, the government would need to identify a reliable source of funding. How many women would qualify? What would be the total annual expenditure? Would the scheme be universal or subject to conditions? Most importantly, what existing expenditure would be reduced, if any, to pay for it?
These are not hostile questions. They are basic questions of public finance. Kejriwal has reportedly argued that Goa has a cash-rich government and that the issue is political will rather than money. But a government’s finances cannot be assessed through slogans. Public money is already committed to salaries, pensions, healthcare, education, infrastructure and debt obligations. Every new recurring scheme must be assessed against these responsibilities.
