Setback for AAP

Election Commission has recommended disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs for holding Office of Profit as Parliamentary Secretaries. It has sent its recommendation to President for his approval. President will only send the recommendation to the Ministry of Home. With the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs, a mini-election in Delhi for these seats is to be held within 6 months. The disqualification is a foregone conclusion. It has reduced the AAP MLAs strength in Delhi assembly from 66 to 46, though Arvind Kejriwal has still the majority. So, technically there is no threat to Kejri govt. This by-election in 20 assembly constituencies will give the opportunity to the opposition parties- BJP and Congress- to show its strength. The performance of the AAP govt. in the last 3 years will also be tested. AAP will have to prove its grip on the electorates of Delhi by retaining the seats. BJP will get the chance of consolidating its position and Congress will get the chance of recording its presence in Delhi assembly. Presently, Congress has no MLA in Delhi assembly despite ruling the city till 2013. As far as disqualification of AAP MLAs is concerned, it was a foregone conclusion. Before AAP MLAs’ disqualification, former Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also faced the wrath of disqualification for holding Office of Profit. So, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should have thought twice before appointing his 20 party MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. He had done only for appeasing and satisfying them by providing govt. perks and facilities to win their loyalties. Kejriwal came to power on an anti-corruption plank. And it is the catharsis that his own half of the Cabinet Ministers had to go on the charges of corruption. Holding Office of Profit by his party MLAs is also a type of corruption. So, the plank of corruption on which Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal came to power boomerang on him itself. Congress and BJP demanded the resignation CM Arvind Kejriwal. They say that he has no moral authority to rule Delhi. One thing is crystal clear that CM Kejriwal had promised Delhiites to provide them a responsive government different from others. He also promised that he would start different political innings in Delhi. As far as development in Delhi is concerned, it is still at the same point where former CM Sheila Dikshit had left it. AAP govt. only kept the promise on reducing the water and electricity bill with some riders at the cost of public exchequer. CM Kejriwal has done nothing different from any other political leader of any other political party. The by-poll in the 20 assembly constituencies may prove to be an eye-opener for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. One can mislead the people once, but not all the time. Delhiites have seen through his temptations and misleading statements.