Emboldened by a thumping majority in the lok Sabha polls, the BJP is working on a plan to introduce full statehood for Delhi and unification of all municipal bodies.
The political parties, especially the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have been crying hoarse over the lack of powers to the national Capital and with Assembly elections just around the corner, the BJP wants to nullify its political adversaries by granting full statehood to Delhi and bringing it within the ambit of the Delhi Government. It is most likely that the Centre would keep Delhi Police to itself as it wants to insulate the law enforcing agency from any political interference.
The demand of full statehood for Delhi was the BJP’s key poll promise in the Assembly and lok Sabha polls. Creation of three municipal bodies by the erstwhile Sheila Dikshit Government may also be declared null and void as it has created more problems in civic governance.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the BJP leadership is planning to revive the Statehood to Delhi Bill 2003 which lapsed owing to procedural delays. “The Statehood to Delhi Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament by the Narendra Modi Government, after which the Assembly elections will be held in Delhi. The election is likely to be fought on statehood to Delhi issue,” sources said.
The statehood has been a contentious issue; meanwhile both the BJP and the Congress are in a tussle over who raised the issue first. However, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) got a resolution passed by the Assembly on September 2002 to press for the move.
The Statehood of Delhi Bill, 2003, was tabled by the then Deputy Prime Minister, lK Advani in the lok Sabha, which would endow the national Capital with full statehood. The Bill went to the parliamentary standing committee, headed by the then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, but it did not leave much impact except a provision that confers special power to the President to give directions for good governance and proper development of Delhi. The Bill lapsed after the lok Sabha session ended.
Delhi as the “National Capital Territory of Delhi” came into existence with Article 239-AA of the Constitution inserted by the Constitution (Sixty-Ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 that came into effect from February 1992. Though it remains a Union Territory (UT), Delhi has been endowed with a legislative Assembly with a Chief Minister and a Council of Ministers with limited powers, distinct from the powers available for them in other States. Matters covered by Entries 1, 2 and 18 of the State list of Seventh Schedule public order, police and land has been kept outside their purview.