The Aam Admi Party (AAP) appears to be confused over fielding its candidates for the municipal bypolls in 13 municipal wards, which have fallen vacant over the past two years, according to sources.
A section of the AAP leaders is said to be of the view that it should not contest the municipal bypolls and rather concentrate fully in running the Delhi Government, for which it got a massive mandate. But there is reportedly another section within the party that feels that if the party does not contest the bypolls, it could send a wrong signal among the voters that it’s not confident of winning the municipal wards.
Party source said a majority of the senior leaders think that the AAP should first fulfill all the 70 promises it had made to the electorate during the Assembly elections.
“By wasting energy in municipal bypolls is not going to lead our party anywhere as we won’t be having majority in any of the three municipal bodies to take any decision. It would be better if we go full prepared for the April 2017 elections in all the 272 municipal wards.”
The source said the party has not taken a final decision on whether it should field its candidates in the municipal bypolls. “The national leadership is likely to leave this decision to its Delhi unit. It is for the local unit to decide whether we should contest bye-elections in the 13 municipal seats.”
The AAP is already being criticised by the BJP and the Congress for not taking a call on holding bypolls in the vacant municipal wards.
The Government has not even responded to any of the two letters sent by the State election commission on
holding the municipal bye-elections.
Following which the Delhi Congress demanded that the AAP Government hold bypolls to the 13 vacant seats of Councillors in the wards of three Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) without any further delay as poor civic conditions prevail in the concerned areas.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to hold elections to 13 vacant seats of Councillors — 4 in North, 7 in South and 2 in East MCDs, adding that in absence of elected Councillors the concerned wards were neglected and people were suffering due to poor civic conditions.