WHY CAN’T AAP HAVE AN OFFICE, FUMES KEJRIWAL

CM Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday blamed the BJP for cancellation of an office allotted to his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and said the ruling party at the Centre was trying to “finish” its principal opposition ahead of the MCD elections.

His retort came a day after Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal cancelled allotment of an office to the AAP on DDU Marg.

“The Congress has four residential bungalows where they are running offices and also a plot too. The Delhi Congress, which has zero seat in Delhi assembly, has an office in the city. BJP has seven offices and one plot. Delhi BJP unit, which got three seats, has an office in Delhi,” Kejriwal said at a press conference. “But the party which got 67 seats doesn’t have an office,” he added.

Though the chief minister did not name the Centre, he had in the past accused the Narendra Modi government of using the L-G’s office to create hurdles for the AAP government.

“Our fault is only one which is that we are fighting for common people. Since we announced that we will end corruption in MCD and remove house tax, BJP is spreading lies about us. They want to finish us. They can snatch our office but we will keep fighting for people. We will work on the roads,” he said.

The MCD elections on April 23 are being seen as a barometer of AAP’s popularity, barely two years after the party won an overwhelming majority in the citystate. The party is also under pressure to put up a good performance in Delhi after its recent drubbing in Punjab and Goa.

Kejriwal announced last month that residential property taxes will be scrapped and arrears will be waived off if the AAP gets control of the capital’s civic bodies.

Kejriwal said his party was a state recognised outfit and having an office was its right.