'AAP Will Leave Politics If...': Arvind Kejriwal's Open Challenge To BJP Over MCD Polls

The national capital has witnessed a massive uproar over Union Cabinet's decision to approve a bill to unify the three civic bodies - North, East and South - Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (File Photo/ PTI)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing spar between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the "postponement" of municipal elections in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday threw an open challenge at the saffron party, saying that AAP will quit politics if BJP gets these polls conducted timely and wins them.

Over the past 24 hours, the national capital has witnessed a massive uproar over Union Cabinet's decision to approve a bill to unify the three civic bodies - North, East and South - Delhi.

"We (the AAP) will leave politics if BJP gets the MCD polls held (timely) and wins them," Kejriwal told reporters outside the Delhi Assembly.

"The BJP says it is the biggest political party in the world but it got scared by a small party and a small election. I dare the BJP for timely MCD polls," the AAP convener added.

"मैं BJP को चुनौती देता हूँ!

MCD के चुनाव समय पर कराओ और जीतकर दिखाओ। अगर हम हार गये तो राजनीति छोड़ देंगे।"

- CM @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/okEMkGUjNh

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 23, 2022

Later, Kejriwal took to Twitter and said that deferring the elections is an "insult to martyrs".

"Postponement of Delhi Municipal Corporation elections by BJP is an insult to the martyrs who had made sacrifices to establish democracy in the country by driving the British out of the country. Today they are postponing the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections due to fear of defeat, tomorrow they will postpone the elections of the states and the country, Kejriwal tweeted.

भाजपा अपने आप को दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी पार्टी कहती है। कमाल है। दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी पार्टी एक छोटी सी आम आदमी पार्टी से घबरा के भाग गयी? हिम्मत है तो MCD के चुनाव टाइम पे करवा के दिखाओ

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 23, 2022

Centre's move to merge the three municipal corporations in Delhi is said to  escalate the ongoing power struggle between the BJP and the AAP ahead of the high-stakes civic polls.

According to sources close to news agency PTI, the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill is expected to be introduced in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

The amendment provides for a unified municipal corporation of Delhi by (MCD) subsuming the existing three corporations where the BJP is in power since 2012. The BJP was also in power from 2007 to 2011 in the erstwhile unified MCD.

The decision has been widely criticised by Delhi's ruling AAP that termed the move as 'tactics' to delay civic polls. AAP, however, excuded confidence that the merger move will not make any difference to its poll prospects.

AAP claims that Delhiites have made up their mind to oust the BJP from power in the civic bodies.

The polls for the 272 wards of the three civic bodies are due in April this year, but there is no clarity from the State Election Commission(SEC) yet whether the dates for the municipal elections would be deferred.

(With inputs from PTI)