Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta boarded the Delhi Metro on Monday, 18 May as part of the 'Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan' campaign, championing public transport use at a moment when fuel prices have emerged as a politically charged concern. The initiative follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public appeal to citizens to cut fuel consumption and embrace greener commuting alternatives.

Leaders Take to the Tracks

During her metro journey, Chief Minister Gupta interacted with fellow commuters, encouraging them to make public transport a regular choice. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood also joined the campaign with his own metro ride, urging passengers to adopt sustainable modes of transport.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, representing the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, similarly travelled by metro in response to the Prime Minister's appeal. Tiwari appeared upbeat after securing a seat and noted that the train was not heavily crowded. 'We had the opportunity to interact with many people. One person said, ‘We want to meet you,’ and I invited him the next day. Some people shared that they travel by metro regularly. Their homes are around 500 to 600 metres from the metro station, so they walk to the station and continue their journey. Many of them frequently travel between Gurugram and Noida. It was a pleasure meeting all these people, and we also enjoyed the experience of travelling ourselves,' Tiwari said.

EV Incentives at Connaught Place

In a parallel move to promote eco-friendly commuting, parking charges for electric vehicles at Connaught Place have been slashed by 50 per cent. Tiwari and NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Chahal distributed parking passes to incentivise greater EV adoption among Delhi residents.

Separately, NDMC Vice President Kuldeep Singh Chahal arrived at Seva Teerth Metro Station aboard an electric auto-rickshaw, reinforcing the fuel-saving message. He also handed out passes offering the 50 per cent EV parking discount in Connaught Place.

Modi's Conservation Appeal — The Backdrop

The campaign draws directly from PM Modi's address on 11 May, in which he reiterated his call for reduced fuel consumption and wider use of public transport and electric vehicles. Notably, he also urged citizens to defer gold purchases amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, which has caused large-scale supply and price disruptions.

This comes amid sustained pressure on household budgets from elevated fuel costs, making the political optics of leaders visibly using public transport all the more deliberate. The coordinated show of participation — spanning the Chief Minister, a Union MP, a state cabinet minister, and a civic body official — signals the BJP's intent to align its Delhi leadership closely with the Prime Minister's conservation messaging.

What's Next

With the 'Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan' campaign now visibly active in the capital, similar outreach drives are likely to follow in other BJP-governed states. The EV parking incentive at Connaught Place could serve as a template for other high-footfall commercial zones across Delhi.