<p dir="ltr">Fresh from an emphatic win in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is opening a new battlefront with the BJP in the national capital over the deferment of elections to three municipal corporations due in April on the pretext of unification of the civic bodies, saying the ruling party at the Centre is taking such a course as it is scared of an AAP wave that will wash it away.</p>.<p dir="ltr">While it did not spell out clearly whether it is in agreement with unifying the North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations, the AAP is questioning why the BJP-ruled Centre is initiating such a move just an hour before the State Election Commission was to announce the dates for the poll.</p>.<p dir="ltr">AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during a digital address, "for seven-eight years, the BJP has been in power at the Centre. If they wanted to bring the three corporations together, why didn't they take action earlier? This comes just one hour before the SEC was to make an announcement. People say the deferment of the polls in the pretext of unification is just a pretext. They say BJP feels there is an AAP wave and the BJP knows it will be washed away. They want to avoid it." </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/what-turned-fortunes-for-the-aap-in-punjab-1090083.html">What turned fortunes for the AAP in Punjab? </a></strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">"What does election have to do with unification of the three civic bodies? The new councillors chosen after the polls will sit in their respective offices if there are three civic bodies. If the three bodies are merged, they will sit together," he said urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi "with folded hands" to ensure that the elections take place.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Kejriwal also questioned the State Election Commission for coming under pressure from the Centre to defer the polls.</p>.<p dir="ltr">"Governments come and go. The country is important and not political parties. If we pressure the Election Commission, it weakens institutions. We should not let the institutions weaken since it weakens democracy and the country," he said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/aap-wins-punjab-emphatically-congress-tastes-defeat-1090072.html" target="_blank">AAP wins Punjab emphatically, Congress tastes defeat</a></strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">The Delhi SEC was to announce the dates for the polls at 5 pm on Wednesday but it said it has received a communication from the Centre about its plan to reunite the three municipalities through a Bill in Parliament during the second leg of the Budget Session starting March 14. It deferred the announcement saying the SEC was studying the communication from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and has sought legal advice on if it can still hold polls for the three civic bodies.</p>.<p dir="ltr">The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012 and two civic polls were held in 2012 and 2017. Once the reunification process is complete, all the three existing municipal corporations in Delhi will be "dissolved". The election will have to be conducted within six months from the dissolution and till then, the administration will be carried out by the central government officials.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Fresh from an emphatic win in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is opening a new battlefront with the BJP in the national capital over the deferment of elections to three municipal corporations due in April on the pretext of unification of the civic bodies, saying the ruling party at the Centre is taking such a course as it is scared of an AAP wave that will wash it away.</p>.<p dir="ltr">While it did not spell out clearly whether it is in agreement with unifying the North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations, the AAP is questioning why the BJP-ruled Centre is initiating such a move just an hour before the State Election Commission was to announce the dates for the poll.</p>.<p dir="ltr">AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during a digital address, "for seven-eight years, the BJP has been in power at the Centre. If they wanted to bring the three corporations together, why didn't they take action earlier? This comes just one hour before the SEC was to make an announcement. People say the deferment of the polls in the pretext of unification is just a pretext. They say BJP feels there is an AAP wave and the BJP knows it will be washed away. They want to avoid it." </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/what-turned-fortunes-for-the-aap-in-punjab-1090083.html">What turned fortunes for the AAP in Punjab? </a></strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">"What does election have to do with unification of the three civic bodies? The new councillors chosen after the polls will sit in their respective offices if there are three civic bodies. If the three bodies are merged, they will sit together," he said urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi "with folded hands" to ensure that the elections take place.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Kejriwal also questioned the State Election Commission for coming under pressure from the Centre to defer the polls.</p>.<p dir="ltr">"Governments come and go. The country is important and not political parties. If we pressure the Election Commission, it weakens institutions. We should not let the institutions weaken since it weakens democracy and the country," he said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/aap-wins-punjab-emphatically-congress-tastes-defeat-1090072.html" target="_blank">AAP wins Punjab emphatically, Congress tastes defeat</a></strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">The Delhi SEC was to announce the dates for the polls at 5 pm on Wednesday but it said it has received a communication from the Centre about its plan to reunite the three municipalities through a Bill in Parliament during the second leg of the Budget Session starting March 14. It deferred the announcement saying the SEC was studying the communication from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and has sought legal advice on if it can still hold polls for the three civic bodies.</p>.<p dir="ltr">The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012 and two civic polls were held in 2012 and 2017. Once the reunification process is complete, all the three existing municipal corporations in Delhi will be "dissolved". The election will have to be conducted within six months from the dissolution and till then, the administration will be carried out by the central government officials.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
