BJP junks AAP's criticism over MCD aldermen appointment

BJP said AAP's Ghanendra Bhardwaj and Captain Shalini were living in South Delhi Corporation area but were appointed East Delhi Municipal Corporation aldermen

The Delhi BJP Sunday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party for questioning the nomination of 10 aldermen to the MCD by the Lieutenant Governor, saying the Kejriwal government had named 30 people affiliated to the AAP in the previous tenure of the civic body.

It would have been better if the Aam Aadmi Party, before questioning the political background of the people appointed as aldermen, had recalled the political background of those nominated in the 2017-22 Corporation House by the Kejriwal government, Delhi BJP spokesman P S Kapoor said.

His statement came in response to the AAP's earlier allegations that persons affiliated with the BJP were nominated as aldermen by the LG.

AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj had claimed the appointments were a BJP "ploy" to gain control at the standing committee and zonal committees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

"Article 243R of the constitution says that aldermen should be experts with special knowledge of municipal administration. The LG made a plan to bypass the elected government so he could make BJP leaders members and chairman of standing committee and give control of zone committees to the party," Bhardwaj alleged.

Hitting back at Bhardwaj, Kapoor said the Aam Aadmi Party should have checked the background of the aldermen nominated in the three MCD Houses of 2017-22 before raising the issue.

In 2017, the Delhi government had the right to appoint 10 aldermen but 30 workers of the AAP were appointed, he said.

The three corporations were merged last year to create a unified MCD.

He said AAP spokespersons Ghanendra Bhardwaj and Captain Shalini were living in the South Delhi Corporation area but were appointed aldermen of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Alderman Haji Yunus appointed in East DMC in 2017 became Aam Aadmi Party MLA in 2020 and alderman Atul Gupta contested the MLA election from Vishwas Nagar in 2020 on an AAP ticket, Kapoor said.

Similarly, BS Joon was nominated to South Delhi Municipal Corporation as the alderman who became the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bijwasan in 2020, Kapoor said.

Kuldeep Mittal and Satyapal Kaim were also affiliated with the AAP and yet nominated as aldermen, he said.

Kapoor said all the former aldermen openly claim to be AAP leaders and have installed boards and nameplates citing their affiliation, in their areas.