AAP govt to pursue corruption charges against Sheila Dikshit, Mukesh Ambani, Veerappa Moily

New Delhi: Delhi's AAP government to be sworn in tomorrow will pursue allegations of corruption against ex-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and industrialist Mukesh Ambani and others, Deputy Chief Minister-designate Manish Sisodia said on Friday. All the cases that were registered last year during Kejriwal government's 49-day stint "will be pursued", Sisodia said.

Sisodia, who had been asked whether the FIRs lodged by the AAP government last year against Mukesh Ambani, the then Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily as also allegations against Dikshit would be pursued, responded "yes, definitely".

The then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered filing of an FIR on February 11 last year against Moily, his predecessor Murli Deora, who is dead now, and RIL Chief Mukesh Ambani for alleged collusion in hike of prices in natural gas from the KG basin. The then AAP government had also ordered a probe into street light purchase scam during the Commonwealth Games of 2010 in which Dikshit's role had come under the scanner.

Sisodia said the AAP government will "revive" the cases that have been put in cold storage and take them to a "logical conclusion". On its key poll promise of slashing power tariff by 50%, Sisodia said it would be done "as soon as possible".

Alleging wide-spread corruption in the power sector, Sisodia said the new government would force the power distribution companies to give all their financial details to the CAG that is probing their accounts. The CAG audit into the finances of the private power distribution companies was ordered by the Kejriwal government last year.

In its manifesto, AAP had promised to cut power tariff by 50% immediately after coming to power and said the rates will be revised based on the findings of the CAG audit. "CAG audit into the discoms is already going on. We will force them to give all the details to the CAG," Sisodia said.

Sisodia said the AAP government will also soon announce 20 kilolitres (20,000 litres) of free water to every household per month as per its promise. The previous AAP government had introduced the free water scheme but it was discontinued after it quit. "We will bring back the free water scheme which was discontinued after we quit the government as water is basic right," he said.

Asked how the new AAP government will tackle the 'VIP culture' of 'lal battis', he said "all the Ministers will ride ordinary cars".

"Not even the Chief Minister will use red-beacon or hooters on his official car. The AAP government will be a government of simplicity. The Ministers may avail government accomodation but not huge bungalows. They will take normal salary and will not travel with huge security contingents," he said.

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'PM Modi won't be able to attend Kejriwal's swearing-in ceremony'

New Delhi: Delhi's Chief Minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed a range of issues related to the national capital including granting full

statehood.

Kejriwal, who was accompanied by senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, reached the PM's residence around 10:30 AM and the meeting lasted for around 15 minutes.

"Arvind told the Prime Minister that both the Centre and the state government enjoy strong majority, therefore, it is a golden opportunity for both to work together to make Delhi a better city," Sisodia told reporters after the meeting.

He added that the AAP Chief also raised the issue of full statehood with the Prime Minister.

Kejirwal also invited Modi to his oath-taking ceremony at the Ramlila Grounds on February 14. However, the Prime Minister expressed his inability as he would be out of the city on that day.

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Maken's 'style' has not helped; Congress was demoralised: Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said she 'pitied' Ajay Maken, who was the party's chief ministerial candidate for the recently held Delhi assembly polls, adding that his 'style' had not helped the grand old party.

"The signals that went from the Congress party did not inspire confidence. Although we didn't realise that we won't get even a single seat, it was clear from the beginning that we would lose badly. What can I say about Ajay Maken, except that I pity him," Dikshit told ANI. "He got the leadership and he took it... but quite obviously his style did not help the Congress,".

Spelling out the party's weaknesses, the former Delhi chief minister stated that the campaign by the Congress should have been aggressive.

"Ajay Maken was the chairman of the campaign committee; the campaign should have been aggressive. There was lack in our strategy, maybe in totality the Congress party was demoralised," Dikshit said.

"It is now Arvind Kejriwal's duty to fulfil all the 70 promises that he made," she added.

In an unprecedented first for the national capital, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party received 67 seats out of the 70 on offer in the Delhi polls. With this extraordinary mandate, the AAP has become the first non-Congress and non-BJP party to rule the city.

The Congress, which in power in Delhi for 15 years up to 2013 and had been trying to rebuild its lost ground in the city, failed to even open its account in the polls.

The BJP, which was relying heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and had brought in former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate to counter Kejriwal, also managed to secure just three seats. 

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Kejriwal hits Delhi road running, lists 4 must-do things before Modi govt

New Delhi: A day after leading his party to a landslide victory in Delhi Assembly polls against the mighty Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal today met Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and discussed various issues with him including that of unauthorised colonies in the city and full statehood.

He was accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia. “We have discussed four big issues with the minister. Firstly, the issues of the poor such as compensation for them, we will need central government’s help in that. Secondly, the issue of unauthorised colonies on which the Centre recently passed a resolution. So in order to take it forward help will be needed from MCD, DDA and the Centre,” Sisodia told reporters after the meeting.

“We told him that for more schools, colleges, hospitals and parking, a lot of land will be needed so whatever land is available with DDA, we have requested for it.

“And lastly the issue of full statehood. We have been fully assured that without any political divide we will get their support,” he added. Kejriwal is slated to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh later in the day.

The Union Minister congratulated Kejriwal and Sisodia on their victory and also reminded them of the responsibility on their shoulders. “AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia met me and discussed about regularisation of unauthorised colonies and other land-related issues. I congratulated them on the victory and reminded them of the great responsibility on their shoulders,” Naidu told reporters.

“I assured him that the Centre is willing to cooperate with the state and contribute to overall interest of people and development but the cooperation will depend on your operation. As the PM has given us guidance that we have to work as a team, we will help them as per the norms.

“If you perform well, we will extend all our support. There is no question of any political consideration whatsoever,” he said.  Kejriwal also extended an invitation to Naidu for the swearing-in ceremony on February 14 at Ramlila Maidan. “He invited me but I have a prior commitment in Kolkata. I have a municipal commissioners meeting which was fixed a month back so I expressed my inability, otherwise I would have been happy to attend that,” said Naidu.

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Delhi Polls: Former AAP leaders apologise for joining party

New Delhi: Four members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who left the party, on Wednesday apologised to the general public for joining hands with Arvind Kejriwal.

Rabindranath Tiwari, a former AAP member and an independent candidate from Janakpuri, along with the three others, including Mohit Singh, held their ears before the camera and regretted their earlier decision.

This move takes place just three days before the high-voltage Delhi Assembly polls.

The elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 7. The counting of votes will take place on February 10. The last day of campaigning is February 5. 

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RSS journal admits: Worried BJP chose Bedi after adverse feedback from field: indianexpress

An article in the RSS mouthpiece Organiser has said that the BJP is not “in a comfortable ground at present” in Delhi, and that the party had inducted Kiran Bedi and projected her as candidate for chief minister after receiving “adverse feedback from field against the Delhi BJP”.

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Feel sorry for Kiran Bedi, BJP has 'gagged' its CM candidate: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Exuding confidence that his party will come to power in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday the BJP had pressed the "panic button" and was now resorting to "politics of poison" to avoid a defeat.

Five days ahead of the voting to the 70-member Delhi assembly, Kejriwal predicted that the Congress will not win even a single seat which will obviate the need for him to take that party's support as he had done in 2013 to form his short-lived 49-day government.

The significance of election in Delhi went far beyond its borders and that was why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was fielding its "big guns" for the campaigning, the former Delhi chief minister told PTI in an interview.

"They have pressed the panic button and that is why you see all these big guns campaigning for the party," he said, and accused them of resorting to personal attacks against him, his family and the community he belongs to. "This shows their (BJP's) desperation and frustration."

Referring to an attack on a South Delhi church Monday morning, he said this was in keeping with the pattern adopted by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh where the electorate was polarised at the time of last year's Lok Sabha elections and bypolls.

"This is what is the politics of BJP. They will try to polarise the society... We do politics of love and affection and they (BJP) do politics of poison," he said.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's argument that it would be good to have a BJP government in Delhi which will work in tandem with BJP-led government at the Centre, he said he would work with Modi in a "constructive" spirit if his party comes to power.

On his rival chief ministerial candidate BJP's Kiran Bedi, with whom he worked closely during Anna Hazare's anti-graft agitation, Kejriwal said if she becomes chief minister, she will be like Manmohan Singh in the Congress party without a voice.

He also said that the former IPS officer was fit for police and not for chief minister's post. Kejriwal said he was sorry for Bedi as she has been "gagged" by the BJP.

Emphasising that it was "lives of Delhiites" who were facing corruption, high prices and issues of security which were at stake in this election, the 46-year-old bureaucrat-turned politician assured that like previous time, his party will reduce power tariff by half and come down hard on bribery.

Asked whether he will again resort to dharna if he becomes chief minister, Kejriwal said, "If need be I will do it again."

"Depending on the requirement of the situation, I will do anything -- discussion, debate or struggle," he said.

On the criticism that both he and Bedi used Hazare's movement as "political launchpad", he said it was for people to see that "one left chief ministership for Lokpal while the other one left Lokpal for chief ministership," in an apparent dig at Bedi.

Kejriwal said there has been a groundswell of support for AAP as people of Delhi want the party to be back at power to address their problems and grievances.

"We are very confident of coming to power. People of Delhi want us to serve them. We have a clear roadmap to make Delhi a truly global city and ensure welfare of all sections of the society," he said.

Asked about number of leaders including Shazia Ilmi leaving the party, Kejriwal said party has become stronger since the last elections as around 30,000 new volunteers have joined it in the last few months.

The former chief minister said if he comes to power, then his government will order through probe into finances of the private power distribution companies and initiate reform in the power sector.

He said enhancing women's security and coming down hard on corruption will be his immediate priorities if he comes to power.

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Kejriwal slapped with show cause notice by EC on BJP complaint

New Delhi:The Election Commission today issued a showcause notice to Aam Aadmi Party leader

Arvind Kejriwal for "prima facie" violating the Model Code of Conduct with his remarks alleging that BJP is trying to incite communal violence in the capital.

The EC gave the former Delhi Chief Minister time till 3 PM on January 20 to respond to the showcause, failing which the poll body will take a decision without any further reference to him.

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Congress pits Kiran Walia against Kejriwal

New Delhi: Congress today pitted former Delhi minister Kiran Walia against AAP leader Arvind

Kejriwal from prestigious New Delhi constituency in February 7 Assembly polls.

The party released its fourth list of candidates for Delhi Assembly elections featuring six candidates.

Besides Walia, it announced the names of Raj Kumar Maggo, Dhuli Chand Lohia, Vishan Swaroop Agarwal, Zakir Khan and Satanpal Dayma who will fight from Moti Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Babarpur and Karawal Nagar respectively.

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Delhi elections: Kiran Bedi joins BJP, to counter Kejriwal

New Delhi: Former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Thursday joined BJP and will contest the February 7 Delhi Assembly polls, a move seen as the party's effort to contain Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital. The 65-year old former IPS officer was inducted into the party fold in the presence of BJP President Amit Shah and Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Harsh Vardhan, triggering speculation that she may be in the race for chief ministership if BJP wins the polls. When asked whether she will be the party's chief ministerial candidate, Shah said party's Parliamentary Board will take a call on the issue after election results are out but added that her induction will "hugely strengthen" the Delhi unit.

He also announced that she will contest the polls but declined to answer whether she will be pitted against her former Team Anna colleague Arvind Kejriwal in the prestigious New Delhi constituency. "A decision about her constituency will be taken later." "Bedi's constructive contribution will play an important role in ensuring that BJP lives up to the expectation of the people in the election and in any future government" Shah told a press conference at the party's headquarters. Describing her as an able administrator who has been a crusader while in government and outside it, Jaitley said the party had been in touch with her for sometime and her joining it will make the party stronger. "She has experience in governance and enjoys a credible image. She is associated with certain values. She has been a crusader in government as well as outside it for a long time," he said welcoming her to BJP.

Bedi, in her speech, pitched her leadership credentials and said she knows "how to work and how to make others work". "I joined BJP due to the inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Delhi needs a strong, clear headed and stable government. We have to make it capital number one in the world," she said. Bedi thanked Modi, saying the PM's "inspirational leadership" has changed crores of Indians including her. "I wanted to sacrifice my entire life to social work. But he inspired me to join political life." However, contrary to expectations, there was no announcement from the BJP on whether actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada and former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi will be joining the party. The party is banking on Jaya Prada's glamour quotient to boost the party's chances, IANS reported, citing unnamed BJP sources.

 A former Samajwadi Party leader, Jaya Prada fought the 2014 Lok Sabha election as a Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate from Bijnor, but she lost. Former AAP legislator Vinod Kumar Binny too is likely to join the saffron party, according to reports. Meanwhile, another former AAP leader, Farhana, said she will be joining the saffron party within the next three days. "Now that the BJP is on the path of development, why should we not extend our help too? We will join the party in the next two to three days," Farhana told ANI. The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for Delhi assembly polls soon. The election committee of the BJP will meet in the Capital to discuss strategies for its campaign. The counting of votes in the Delhi elections will take place on February 10. In the last polls in Delhi in 2013, the BJP had bagged 31 seats in addition to one by its ally Shiromani Akali Dal, falling short of a simple majority in the 70-member assembly. The AAP had won in 28 seats and Congress got 8.

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