Is Kejriwal for municipal reforms or not: BJP asks as unification of MCDs imminent

Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday defended the Centre’s likely plans to reunify Delhi’s three civic bodies, labelling the move “municipal reform” and accusing the state government of choking the corporations of funds.

In a press conference on Wednesday evening, the BJP’s New Delhi parliamentarian, Meenakshi Lekhi (who is also Union minister of state for external affairs), said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders did not “respect constitutional positions”, alluding to comments made by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia earlier in the day.

“Based on the notice or details sent by the Centre, the state election commission took an independent decision. The comment by Manish Sisodia and other [party] members on the election commission is contempt of constitutional bodies. The people of Delhi elected them for effective administration, but they have cheated people. They have violated all the laws and rules. They have opened three or four liquor shops in each ward,” said Lekhi.

A press conference in which the dates for polls to Delhi’s three municipal corporations were expected to be announced took a turn on Wednesday evening as the state election commissioner said the body was postponing the announcement by a week after it received a letter from the Centre, which indicated it was planning to reunify the civic bodies. The poll panel later clarified that it had not deferred or cancelled the elections.

Kejriwal, in a tweet, said the BJP “conceded defeat” ahead of the civic body polls, and accused the election commission of buckling “under the BJP’s pressure.”

Later, Sisodia, called the decision a “murder of democracy”.

“For the first time in the history of Independent India, an election commission refrained from announcing the date for an election, despite a scheduling a press conference to do just that,” he said.

Lekhi, in response, said there was a need for reforms in municipal functioning.

“Kejriwal should clear his stand whether he is in favour of municipal reforms or not. They have stopped the funds of the corporations. Can a city function without a municipality? Kejriwal doesn’t want that,” she said.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, meanwhile, said it was necessary to financially strengthen the three corporations, which he claimed have not been able to work “due to the AAP-led Delhi government”.

Gupta also said the party is ready for the elections and is confident of winning a fourth term.

The civic bodies — the North and East MCDs in particular — have been roiled by funds shortages, forcing employees to resort to protests and strikes after being unpaid for months. While the AAP has blamed this on “mismanagement” by the civic bodies, the BJP has claimed that Delhi’s governing party has cut off funds to the three agencies.

“With the Delhi government not releasing funds on time, it has become impossible to pay salaries on time. It has become difficult to convince our own employees. Something had to be done to financially strengthen the situation,” said a senior BJP leader.

The Centre’s decision didn’t, however, come as a surprise, said some BJP leaders. The party, they said, has been pursuing senior leaders to address the corporations’ funds shortfall.

According to two senior BJP leaders, the Centre is likely to bring in legislation in the upcoming Parliament session, which starts from March 14.

“The new House of corporations have to be formed by May 19. But a solution has to be found to the existing problem. The Centre will make provision to address it in the upcoming Parliament session,” said a senior BJP leader who asked not to be named.

Gupta said, “The erstwhile MCD was trifurcated a decade back and our experience shows that it has not helped the corporations and the city. It has caused a major financial crisis in the civic agencies. Now the Centre has decided to intervene to improve the working of the civic bodies. It is regrettable that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has reacted in his well-known anarchic language.”

The BJP, which is the ruling party in all the three corporations for the past 15 years, said that the problems only increased in the past seven years as the Kejriwal government has withheld funds, said Gupta.

While questions are being raised about the timing of the development and AAP alleging the BJP fears losing it, the BJP claimed that it had the public support. “BJP doesn’t fear elections. It is Arvind Kejriwal who actually fears elections, as there is widespread resentment amongst people due to his excise policy.”

The Delhi BJP has criticised the state’s new excise policy, and MCD leaders have shut several liquor shops in the city over the past few weeks.

Jai Prakash, former North corporation mayor, said, “We have been finding it impossible to carry out basic functioning. No new development projects could be planned due to shortage of funds. It is the people who are at the receiving end, but the Delhi government doesn’t care.”