AAP, BJP wrap up MCD election push
Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal held two separate public meetings on Friday, the last day of campaigning for the December 4 municipal elections, even as party legislators held roadshows along with party candidates at nearly 500 different locations.
Kejriwal held the first meetging with Yoga trainers who were hired by the government under its ‘Dilli ki Yogshala’ scheme at the Constitution Club in New Delhi and gave them salary cheques from funds generated through a crowd funding campaign that the Delhi CM had kicked off earlier this month. A total of 250 Yoga trainers were given the salaries through donations collected from 50 people.
The BJP, however, termed it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and demanded the state election commission to take legal action against Kejriwal. Ashish Sood, convener of Delhi BJP Municipal Corporation Election Committee, said the distribution of cheques was not stopped despite orders by the election commission. “The Aam Aadmi Party is committing this heinous act of money distribution among the voters in Delhi fearing the increasing support base of the BJP. This is a violation of the election code of conduct,” Sood said at a press conference.
The state election commission has initiated a probe in the matter. Deputy secretary of state election commission PK Goel, in a communication on Friday, has asked the district election officer verify the facts related the programme, take immediate action and submit an action taken report.
The chief minister also held a Town Hall meeting with the traders in North Delhi’s Britannia Chowk area where he promised freedom from Inspector
Raj, ease of doing business and international standards market infra if the AAP is voted to power in the MCD.
Speaking with Yoga trainers in the first Town Hall meeting, Kejriwal said, “I was very sad when Delhi LG banned free yoga classes, but we were determined that we will not let Yoga classes stop, whether money comes from the government or not. Today, the people of Delhi handed over salaries to all the yoga trainers. I will not let any project in Delhi stop. We are not doing this for votes, but for the people of Delhi. Vote for whosoever you want, your health is my responsibility,” Kejriwal said, and added that the payment of salaries was not part of the electioneering for the MCD polls.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday pulled out all the stops, with several party bigwigs, including Union ministers and leaders from other Bjp-ruled states, holding roadshows and rallies in Delhi on the last day of campaigning for the December 4 MCD elections.
Besides senior Delhi unit leaders, Union minister Anurag Thakur, Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Puri canvassed support for party candidates in different localities
across the city. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Dhami and Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also campaigned for the party candidates in different areas. The party held 250 Vijay Sankalp road shows, capping up its intense campaign for the civic polls.
Having ruled the MCD for three consecutive terms, the BJP is eyeing an ambitious fourth straight win in the civic polls that are being held after the unification of the three civic bodies in Delhi by the Centre in May.
Leading campaign rallies in Patel Nagar, Naraina, Mangolpuri and Ranjit Nagar, Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said that the AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has openly given “protection to rioters and corrupt people”.
“Kejriwal came to power by talking of politics of change. For them, the meaning of changing politics was to openly give protection to rioters and corrupt people. Today, rioters, corrupt and criminals from Delhi to Punjab have the open protection of Arvind Kejriwal. These are the same people who did the work of throwing the whole of Delhi into riots on the arrival of the US President to India”, Thakur said.