'Largest party scared of smallest': Kejriwal's jab at BJP over Delhi civic polls

Delhi municipal elections: The current terms of the bodies - with 272 wards under them - expire between May 18 and 22.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal resumed his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday in the row over postponement of civic body polls after the union cabinet greenlit a bill to merge the city's three municipal corporations. Addressing the Delhi Assembly a smiling Kejriwal told the BJP to 'contest polls if you have the courage' and joked 'the largest party (the BJP) got scared of the smallest (his Aam Aadmi Party)'.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

"The nation won't tolerate the drama they're doing. They say they are the largest party in the world. We are the smallest. Still, they got scared! Largest party got scared of the smallest. Contest polls if you have courage," he declared.

READ: Kejriwal dares BJP - Hold Delhi civic polls on time and try to win

Kejriwal needled the BJP on Wednesday as well; he dared the party to conduct the MCD election on time and said 'we (the AAP) will quit politics if polls are held (on) time and the BJP wins'. He told reporters the BJP was using the proposal to delay polls scheduled for April.

"I challenge the BJP - if you have courage hold MCD elections immediately. If you win, we will leave politics there and then. BJP first coerced state election commission to defer elections and is now on track to delay for months through an amendment… will there be any point left to this democracy?" he asked.

"BJP is headed towards a humiliating defeat in MCD polls," Kejriwal declared.

Earlier this week the union cabinet approved a bill to merge the three corporations: the bill will likely to be tabled in parliament next week.

READ: 'Will quit politics if...': Kejriwal's ultimatum over delay in MCD polls

The three corporations are - the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

They were previously one body but were trifurcated in 2012.

A little over two weeks ago the State Election Commission of Delhi deferred scheduling polls after it received a communique from the centre stating it intended to merge the three. The current terms of the bodies - with 272 wards under them - expire between May 18 and 22.

The BJP says merging the three corporations will help the civic body provide better services to the citizens of Delhi and pay employees regularly.

With input from ANI