Kejriwal dares BJP to hold Delhi municipal polls in time
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (March 23) attacked the BJP over the “postponement” of municipal elections, saying that AAP will quit politics if BJP gets these polls conducted timely and wins them.
Kejriwal’s remarks came after the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill to unify the three civic bodies – North, East and South – in Delhi.
“We (the AAP) will leave politics if BJP gets the MCD polls held (timely) and wins them,” Kejriwal told reporters outside the Delhi Assembly. He added, “The BJP says it is the biggest political party in the world but it got scared by a small party and a small election. I dare the BJP for timely MCD polls.” Later, Kejriwal took to Twitter and said that deferring the elections is an “insult to martyrs”.
“Postponement of Delhi Municipal Corporation elections by BJP is an insult to the martyrs who had made sacrifices to establish democracy in the country by driving the British out of the country. Today they are postponing the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections due to fear of defeat, tomorrow they will postpone the elections of the states and the country,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that the trifurcation had weakened the financial health of the existing civic bodies in the city and unification will help in making the corporation financially stable. Unification of civic bodies will strengthen the corporation and ensure better development in Delhi, he said, adding that AAP is opposing the move because it will strengthen the corporation.
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“In the last seven years every day they worked to weaken civic bodies. The Union government’s move will prove to be very beneficial for Delhi residents and the civic body. The Modi government always works for the betterment of the people,” Gupta added.
Earlier, the AAP slammed the Union Cabinet’s nod to the Bill as a “tactic to delay”‘ civic polls and asserted that “it will not make any difference in the poll prospects as the Delhiites have made up their mind to oust the BJP from power in the city”‘.
Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said that the unification of municipalities will help improve its financial position. General consensus is that along with being administratively beneficial, the unification of the Municipal Corporations will improve its financial position, he said, but added that the Union government should have brought this Bill at least six months earlier to prevent any delay in elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
