BJP MLAs support AAP’s 400% salary hike

◗ Two BJP MLAs are part of the committee to convince the Centre to clear the bill before it is notified by Raj Niwas

A sharp divide among BJP MLAs and party’s state leadership is clearly visible over the proposed salary hike issue of AAP MLAs in the capital. While BJP MLAs have supported the AAP government’s bill recommending 400 percent salary hike, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and senior office- bearers announced that the party will oppose any such move.

Interestingly, two BJP MLAs are part of the committee, headed by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, to convince the Centre to clear the bill before it is notified by the Raj Niwas.

In December 2015, the Delhi Assembly had passed a bill seeking a whopping 400 per cent hike in the basic salary of MLAs and ministers, besides a hefty increase in their perks and allowances.

On April 6, Mr Sisodia moved a resolution to form the committee, which was passed with a voice vote in the House. Members of the six- member committee included AAP MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Praveen Kumar and BJP MLAs Om Prakash Sharma and Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The committee is headed by Mr Sisodia.

Supporting the issue of salary hike raised by AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi in the Assembly, BJP MLA Mr Sharma had said that the ruling government had the support from the Opposition members on this particular issue.

On April 9, Delhi BJP, however, taking a stand against its lawmakers in the Assembly, passed a resolution in its monthly meeting condemning the proposed hike. The resolution condemning AAP government’s proposed salary hike and PDS scam was proposed by Delhi BJP general secretaries K. S. Chahal and Ravinder Gupta and seconded by another general secretary Rajesh Bhatia and others present in the meeting.

Mr Sirsa, a SAD member who won on BJP symbol, said that he was not against hike but not didn’t support such a manifold hike in in salary especially when sanitation workers are not getting their salary on time. The government must ensure timely payments of salary to sanitation workers then talk about increasing salary of MLAs. I will extend support to the proposed hike thern,” he added.

Meanwhile, attempts to contact Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta remained futile.