A day before the crucial civic body polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, urged voters to give Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) one chance to clean the "corruption-infested MCD”.
While addressing traders at a Town Hall style meeting, CM Kejriwal promised to build markets in Delhi “like the ones in Paris and London” if AAP wins the MCD polls.
“The infrastructure of Delhi markets is in bad shape. You must have seen markets in Paris and London. We will create Delhi markets on the lines of Paris and London,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that the MCD was mired in corruption and BJP has no intention to clean it up. "There is a problem of corruption in MCD. The intention is not clear. All problems would have gone, if they had clear intention. We have done several works. We don’t collect funds for the party through corruption. The corruption in MCD will end in three-four months if we come to power," said Kejriwal.
Traders from all over the city shared their woes with the CM, who assured them that their problems will be addressed. “We will end the inspector raj in the MCD the way we have ended the VAT inspector raj in the national capital. They have created the MCD in a way like the MCD and the Delhi government are actually Delhi and Pakistan. They keep on fighting us. They even razed three mohalla clinics with bulldozers,” the chief minister said.
"There is a need for a change. One of the biggest reasons for the change is ego. If there is no change, it results in an ego, exactly similar to what has happened with BJP in Gujarat. They are ruling MCD for 15 years and a change is required," said Kejriwal.
"It has never happened in all these years that there is same party in the Delhi government and MCD. Let's try to form a single-party government this time. I will also be comfortable. I will call both, the MLA and the councillor, and ask why the work was not done," he added.
The civic polls, spanning 250 wards, are due on December 4 with AAP, BJP, and Congress as three main contenders in the fray. The BJP is in power in the MCD and the AAP aims to take control of the civic bodies after votes are polled on December 4 and counted on December 7. The election, earlier scheduled for March-April, was delayed after the Centre announced a delimitation exercise in the capital city to reorganise the wards based on the growing population.