Disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs to hit government projects in Delhi, as citizens gear up for yet another election

Even as the Delhi High Court will hear the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) appeal against the disqualification of 20 of its MLAs on Monday, all major political parties in Delhi are gearing up for bypolls. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said that Congress is “fully ready” to contest the bypolls for 20 seats and the  BJP has also begun serious parleys. [caption id=“attachment_4313939” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. PTI[/caption] Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is also in his election mode. Hindustan Times reported that the chief minister urged a gathering in Najagarh on Sunday to “vote wisely.” Najagarh’s MLA Kailash Gahlot is one of the legislators who have been disqualified after the president’s order. “There should be no politics in development works,” Kejriwal was quoted as saying in the report. “Don’t vote for us if this sewer line is not completed before next Assembly elections,” he said. However, government projects and development works in the National Capital are most likely to be affected following the disqualification and if Delhi goes has to vote again. Gahlot holds important portfolios in the government such as administrative reforms, transport and revenue. His disqualification, as Hindustan Times reported, would mean further delays in vital government projects such as buying new buses, city’s new taxi scheme and introduction of app-based AC bus service. The report also quoted AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj as saying, “several important projects of transport department, especially schemes meant to curb pollution will be hindered with the disqualification of Gahlot as transport minister.” After the Delhi government decided to procure electric buses, Gahlot undertook a stocktaking visit to assess the functioning of these battery-operated vehicles, The Hindu reported. After his disqualification, the project that was fast-tracked by the government, will likely be delayed. This is not the only consequence that Delhi will have to face if the high court rejects AAP’s appeal. Delhi will go to polls again. After Kejriwal’s hasty resignation in January 2014 and the resulting Assembly election, the National Capital has been going to the polls every year. Delhi voted in General Election 2014 and later had its Assembly election in 2015. Citizens also voted for the MCD election last year and the bypolls in Bawana and Rajouri Garden. The bypolls for the 20 seats will just add to the misery of Delhiites who will have to wait for important projects to be completed.