Don’t leave party: Kejri to councillors

‘BJP will try level-best to woo you, but please don’t leave pious movement’

New Delhi: Keep your phones on “recording mode”, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal advised the AAP’s newlyelected municipal councillors and warned them against “betraying the party” by falling into the BJP’s trap.

Apprehending defections after the drubbing in the municipal polls, the AAP high command on Thursday released a video of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal addressing his party councillors. The AAP chief claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party would try its level best to woo the councillors, but they would have to remain united.

Mr Kejriwal also told the newly-elected councillors not to leave the movement against corruption even if someone lured them to join other parties by offering large sums of money. “It is a very pious movement. If you leave AAP, this movement, the people will then never be happy,” Mr Kejriwal said.

Mr Kejriwal met the newly elected party councillors and urged them to work honestly and “not to betray the party”. Addressing the AAP councillors at his residence, Mr Kejriwal administered them a “pledge of honesty” and cautioned them not to let themselves be lured or involved in corruption as, he claimed, the three municipal corporations in Delhi were “most corrupt”. Earlier in the day, Mr Kejriwal called meeting of his party legislators. The party went beyond their go-to theme of “faulty EVMs (voting machines)” and conceded a different reason for their loss in elections in Delhi — the UP effect and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “growing stature”. At a meeting of legislators on Thursday morning, AAP discussed that the “spillover effect” of Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP won a record majority last month, had impacted the civic polls in Delhi .

“After the BJP’s UP victory, combined with AAP’s loss in Punjab and Goa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emboldened persona and stature was hard to beat, even for Arvind Kejriwal,” an AAP legiuslator said, sharing details of the meeting.

The AAP chief also urged the councillors to ensure a check on corruption in the civic bodies by raising their voice against it. “This party has emerged from an anti-corruption movement; so, please work with full honesty,” Mr Kejriwal said.

“Maintain honesty and have the courage to raise voice against corruption in the MCDs. They (BJP) might send you to jail or try to suppress your voice, but do not fear,” he said.

He also advised them to listen to party volunteers who campaigned and sought votes for the AAP. “Volunteers will come to you for getting work done in their areas. If you do not do their work, they won’t be able show their face in areas where they sought votes for you. So, please listen to them and get their work done,” Mr Kejriwal said. Stressing the importance of sanitation employees of the three corporations, the CM advised the councillors to treat them like family. “They are poor and harassed, treat them like your family,” Mr Kejriwal said.