MCD Bill: Kejriwal Says Reduction Of Wards Means Delimitation, Will Study And Challenge It In Court

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Centre introduced the MCD Bill in Lok Sabha to stall the municipal elections in the national capital.

New Delhi: A couple of days after the Centre introduced a bill in Lok Sabha to merge the three municipal corporations in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his government will study the bill, and if needed, will challenge in court. Alleging that the MCD Bill has been introduced by the Centre to stall the municipal polls, Kejriwal said the reduction of wards’ number to 250 from 272 means delimitation, which further means no elections.

“The MCD bill (by Centre) being brought to stall (MCD) polls. We will study it, and if needed, will challenge in Court. Reduction of wards’ number to 250 from 272 means delimitation, which further means no elections. Bill brings MCD under Centre’s control,” Kejriwal said.

Currently, the three corporations in Delhi — North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) — have 272 wards. While the North and South corporations have 104 wards each, the East corporation has 64.

On Friday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had claimed in the Assembly that the BJP is so “terrified” of the Kejriwal government that the Centre is “taking interest in MCD functioning”. He also termed the Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha, to merge the three municipal corporations in the national capital “a threat to democracy”.

MCD bill (by Centre) being brought to stall (MCD) polls. We will study it, and if needed, will challenge in Court. Reduction of wards' number to 250 from 272 means delimitation, which further means no elections. Bill bring MCD under Centre's control: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/8KcFjeKwlB

— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2022

“PM Modi should be thinking about the position of India amidst the war in Ukraine and Russia. But all that he is concerned about is the MCD elections. The BJP government at the Centre and the PM is afraid of the voice of the people of Delhi,” he had alleged.

The AAP leader said it must be for the first time in India that the ruling party has brought a bill to stop a municipal election fearing defeat.

“In the guise of the bill the BJP is killing democracy by stopping MCD elections,” Sisodia said, adding, “According to me, this is not the MCD reform bill, this is the ‘Stop MCD Elections’ Bill.”

Earlier, Kejriwal had dared the BJP to “get the civic polls in the city held on time” and win it, saying his Aam Aadmi Party will quit politics if so happens.

Kejriwal’s remarks came a day after the Union Cabinet approved a Bill to unify the three civic bodies in Delhi — North, East and South.

The chief minister had also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with “folded hands”, to protect Constitution and democracy.