Be honest, don’t ditch party, Kejri tells his councillors

NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked newly-elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) municipal councillors on Thursday not to leave the party and cautioned them that the BJP might try to lure them.

His remarks follow the AAP’s decision to rejig its Delhi unit after the party’s drubbing in elections to the city’s three civic agencies.

A day after the Aam Aadmi Party was routed in the municipal elections, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asked newly-elected councillors to not ‘desert’ the ‘sacred’ party and be aware of the BJP trying to poach them. The AAP has managed to win only 48 seats in the north, south and east corporations while the BJP emerged victorious on 181 seats, gaining clear majority in the three municipal corporations.In a formal interaction with the councillors, the AAP national convener warned them that the BJP could attempt to poach them since the anti-defection law did not apply to municipal corporations.

“There is no anti-defection law in the MCD, so the BJP leaders would try to poach you. You must always keep your phones on recording mode. If somebody tries to lure you, record it, we will expose them in a press conference,” Kejriwal told the newly elected councillors.

The AAP has repeatedly accused the BJP of attempting to weaken the party by luring its legislators. Earlier, this week AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleged to have received phone calls from BJP leaders, offering her a coveted post in the Centre.

Requesting the councillors to work with honesty, Kejriwal said they need to raise people’s issue even at the risk of being hounded by Central government agencies.

“Where you are going (MCD) is a den of corruption. Be alert to corruption around you. Raise your voice against it. They might even jail you since the police are with them. Don’t be afraid of anything. Let honesty and courage be your guiding principles,” he said.