Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)The BJP state leadership is maintaining a deliberate distance from the three civic bodies — which it also rules — as they feel the general public does not have a good impression of the MCDs and that it might affect their electoral performance, sources said.
According to a source, party leaders, as part of their strategy, have spoken out against the MCDs publicly to send out a message that they do not endorse corruption. The MCDs have come under fire from Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari as well as MP Vijay Goel recently. While Tiwari said “deep-rooted corruption” in the corporations was coming in the way of his party delivering services in the city, Goel had hit out at the building department of the MCDs.
“I have always spoken up against corruption – whether it is by MCDs or the Delhi government. The problem with the MCDs is that most of the power is vested with the commissioners and not mayors… If building department officials harass people or support illegal construction, I think it is my duty to stand against corruption,” he had said.
Sources also said another reason is because the sealing drive was executed by the MCDs on the instructions of the SC-appointed monitoring committee – an issue that will play a major factor in the upcoming polls. In September last year, Tiwari faced the top court’s ire after he broke the seal of a dairy in East Delhi and accused the officials of sealing it illegally.
Party sources said the Delhi BJP has not given senior officials of the corporations any major responsibilities and that their role will be limited to campaigning. “The idea is that if the MCDs are not up to mark, it should not affect other elections…,” a leader said.
