AAP ups the ante against BJP-ruled municipal bodies

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to take its offensive to the three Municipal Corporations in Delhi.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to take its offensive to the three Municipal Corporations in Delhi.

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The party, which will contest the municipal elections scheduled for 2017, has decided to up its ante against the BJP-ruled corporations by appointing councillors as coordinators in each corporation.

In the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Rakesh Kumar, who was allegedly beaten up by BJP councillors at a joint session of the three corporations on Thursday, has been appointed the coordinator. The names of the other two coordinators will be decided soon.

All party MLAs, who are nominated members to the corporations, have been asked to attend all meetings of the corporations.

The Delhi government has the power to nominate MLAs to the three corporations. They form 5% of the total strength of the municipal house.

There are five nominated MLAs in the north and south corporations and three in east. Apart from theses AAP members, the party has around 10 councillors — independents who support the party and five who won in the municipal by-polls in May. Rakesh Kumar is among the independent councillors.

“The party is very serious about the municipal elections next year and is putting all its efforts to have a good showing. All our nominated MLAs will now have to attend each meeting and raise relevant issues,” said a senior party leader.

The corporations meet at least once a month.

AAP has regularly been taking up issues of alleged corruption and delay in payment of salaries of municipal employees.

Last week, it raised the issue of corruption in building of two flyovers by the municipal corporation in the city, and on Wednesday it was the issue of alleged corruption in three MCD hospitals. AAP held the BJP responsible for it.

“Three hospitals of MCD had been awarding contracts for sanitation to an individual firm without any open tendering process. This is a case of corruption in the BJP-ruled MCD,” AAP Delhi convener Dilip Pandey said. He alleged that the cases were from Hindu Rao, Kasturba Gandhi and Rajan Babu TB Hospitals.