AAP will quit politics if BJP holds elections on time and wins, says Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP on Wednesday for delaying the civic body elections, said that the AAP will leave politics if the BJP holds elections on schedule and wins them.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which intends to consolidate the capital’s three municipal corporations, received Cabinet approval the day before. The State Election Commissioner’s news conference to announce the MCD poll dates was postponed at the last minute earlier this month after the Centre announced its plan to merge the three civic bodies.

“I challenge the BJP, if you have courage in you, get the MCD elections held immediately. If you win, we will leave politics there and then,” Kejriwal told the reporters at the Vidhan Sabha on the first day of Budget session 2022-23. He also alleged that by delaying the MCD elections, the BJP has “insulted” the country’s martyrs such as Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who sacrificed their life for freedom from the British and to establish a democracy in India.

“This situation is extremely painful and distressing to witness. If elections are deferred in this manner, then there will be no point to this democracy. The public will become voiceless. This country will be reduced to a laughing stock. Did Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh give his life for this day? Did he sacrifice all he had in him to see a country where a government is so distant from its people that it cancels elections? I want to remind BJP that the basic right of electing a government to power rests with people of this country, and no matter what they do, the people will not forgive them,” Kejriwal stated.

On Twitter, too, the CM kept up the attack: “BJP first threatened the State Election Commission to defer elections and is ploying to delay them for months through an amendment. If elections get cancelled like this, will there be any point left to this democracy? Will it not make the public feel voiceless and suppressed? BJP’s shameless act of deferring elections is downright disrespectful of the sacrifice our martyrs made for this country and its constitution. He said that the BJP was using unification of the three MCDs as a pretext to delay the polls. “Can they cancel civic polls citing this reason? If today they are giving such reasons to stop a small election, tomorrow they will delay state and national elections too.”

“Is the Election Commission so fickle that BJP can make it defer elections in the name of unification of MCDs. If BJP will start losing Gujarat, can they cancel those elections too saying BJP wants to merge Gujarat and Maharashtra? This is highly unacceptable,” he said. “I appeal to the Prime Minister with folded hands – there may not be Modi, Kejriwal tomorrow. Leaders like you and I don’t matter but what matters is the country, its constitution and democracy, and that must be protected.”

“Everyone knows the BJP was going to face a crushing defeat in the upcoming MCD elections,” he said, adding that BJP calls itself India’s biggest political party yet is afraid of a small party in a small election.

Sisodia, BJP spar

Following close on the heels of Kejriwal’s statements, his deputy Manish Sisodia Wednesday challenged the BJP to conduct the civic polls immediately.

“The BJP has been ruling the MCDs for the past 17 years, and it has only seen corruption all these years. The party has been ruling from when the MCD was a single organisation, and also when it was trifurcated, but the city has seen no development except deep-rooted corruption,” Sisodia stated.

Calling the BJP “corrupt” and “afraid”, Sisodia said, “Don’t run away from municipal polls. If you have courage, conduct the polls immediately. Delhi people don’t care whether you hold the polls under one MCD or five. They want BJP-free MCDs that work for the development of the city, primary education, and health.”

He added, “Despite being in power for 17 years, the BJP could not manage small schools, upgrade hospitals, pay salaries to sanitation workers and clear garbage. Sanitation workers, employees of MCD, and people in Delhi are tired of the party, and want to see a change in the way the corporation is run.”

Sisodia further stated that Delhi people will wipe out the BJP in the civic polls this time: “Don’t play dirty politics of unification and trifurcation to delay the polls.”

Responding to the AAP’s allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “The statements of AAP leaders over MCD polls reflect their frustration and lust for power. The statements do not show any concerns for civic employees.”

“Through the unification of the three corporations, the central government is trying to improve the financial health, and working sector. Soon all modalities will be completed and the election dates will be announced,” said Kapoor.