New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) After the State Election Commission (SEC) deferred the announcement of Delhi municipal poll dates, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Wednesday lashed out at the poll panel, alleging it was acting at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre.
He dubbed the move as a “murder of democracy” and alleged that the state election commission of Delhi has “withheld” the dates “under pressure from the BJP at the Centre”.
Sisodia also lashed out at the BJP, alleging that the saffron party has “made” the State Election Commission defer the poll dates at this juncture as the party was sure of its rout.
The deputy chief minister’s reaction came after the state election commissioner S K Srivastava, at a press conference called to announce the dates of the civic polls, dropped a surprise, saying it was not able at announce the dates of the municipal elections “right now”.
“I have received some communication from the central government at 4.30 PM, so I am not able to announce the dates right now,” he told reporters.
Srivastava said it will take another five-seven days to announce the dates for the municipal elections.
The Central government “perhaps” desires “reorganisation” of the civic bodies and may go for their “unification”, the SEC said. “So we have to think over it, and then announce MCD poll dates. We will examine their advice.” Srivastava said, “If the three corporations are unified, then we will have to decide accordingly. We are taking legal opinion on the issue”.
Reacting sharply to the SEC’s statement, the Delhi deputy chief minister came down heavily on the poll panel and asked it to understand its “responsibility” and conduct a free and fair election without succumbing to “any pressure from the BJP government”.
“It’s the most unfortunate day for democracy, it’s the day of murder of democracy, just because of the conduct of the election commission,” Sisodia told a press conference.
“The term of the Houses of the civic bodies in Delhi is ending, and there was a pre-announced press conference where the dates were to be announced. Now, under pressure from the BJP at the Centre, the dates have been withheld. The Election commission has refused to announce the dates..,” Sisodia charged.
He said that never before in the country since Independence has any election commission acted in such a manner.
“It (election body) has bent, and knelt down before the BJP at the Centre, after getting scared of it (BJP),” he charged “This is very dangerous. If the election commission acts under pressure of the central government, what meaning will be left for elections in a democracy,” he said. “If tomorrow Modi ji feels that he is going to lose in the parliamentary election, will it be postponed?” “The election commission must understand its responsibility, take decisions to fulfill its duty properly and protect the democracy. Governments will come and go. The election commission should maintain its sanctity,” he added.
Training guns at the BJP, the deputy chief minister alleged that the saffron party has “made” the SEC withhold the dates of polls, as it was scared for facing people after 15 years of its “corrupt regime” in the civic bodies.
“The BJP has done it because knows it knows it very well that it is going to lose in the civic polls. If elections are held today, we (AAP) will win 250 seats out of 272 seats.
Delhi has three civic bodies — North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations — and the last civic polls in the city were held in April 2017.
All the three corporations in the city are currently ruled by the BJP, which has been controlling the civic bodies since the trifurcation of the erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in 2012.
There are 104 wards each in the North and the South Delhi Municipal Corporations. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has 64 wards. “After what election commission has done, the BJP’s prospects in the elections have further worsened as people have seen and understood everything. It may end up losing all seats,” Sisodia said.
Replying to a question on the issue of re-unification of all the three civic bodies, the deputy chief minister said the party will see it when it comes.
“That is a different issue. We will see when it comes (proposal for unification of civic bodies),” he said.
“What will happen with unification? The councillors will then sit in one room, one hall. Let them do unification. But why are you (BJP) running away from the elections?” he asked. PTI AKM KND PK PK TIR TIR
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