The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sheila faces a resurgent BJP in Assembly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 15, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sheila faces a resurgent BJP in Assembly

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, MARCH 14. The budget session of the Delhi Assembly beginning this Tuesday is likely to be a stormy affair with a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party gearing up to challenge the Sheila Dikshit Government on various issues. Interestingly, even the ruling party members have put the Government on notice on crucial matters like corruption and shortage of water and power in the Capital.

For the first time in her second tenure, the Chief Minister is likely to face a stringent challenge from the Opposition as well as treasury benches. Signs of mounting resentment against the Congress Government within the party were visible during the winter session when the legislators were up in arms against the indifferent attitude of the power distribution companies and the failure of the Government to tame them. This time round, the recent unearthing of the bribery scam in the Sales Tax Department of the Delhi Government has provided the Opposition as well as the rivals of the Chief Minister the right kind of ammunition to pin down the Government.

The sailing is unlikely to be smooth from the first day when the session opens with the Lieutenant-Governor's address to the House as the Opposition is expected to make its intentions clear right away. "We will not let the Government get away with this kind of corruption and inefficiency. What is even more shocking is that some officials in the Chief Minister are part of this corrupt set-up,'' the Delhi BJP president, Harsh Vardhan, said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Mukhi, is also ready to take on the Government. "It is a defunct government run by certain bureaucrats who are being protected by the Chief Minister Office for fear that they might expose the wrong doings in various sectors including the privatisation of power,'' Mr. Mukhi added.

Interestingly, it is not only the BJP that is gunning for the Government but also the ruling party legislators. The fact that the Chief Minister's Office has come under a cloud in the recent corruption scam has boosted the morale of this group that has put the Government on notice on various issues. The Government could be in for a lot of embarrassment as senior party leaders including Subhash Chopra, and Mateen Ahmed have given notices for discussion on the controversial topics like the rampant corruption in all Government departments, humiliation of elected representatives and slowing down of developmental works.

"There has been a general sidelining of the elected representatives by the Chief Minister and her close aides. While the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, has time and again talked of more interaction with party and giving importance to party cadres and elected representatives, the opposite is happening in Delhi where the standing the elected representatives has been marginalised by various actions of the present Government,'' a senior leader remarked.

Apart from the presentation of budget on March 23 and announcement of introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) regime from April 1, the House will also take up a number of important issues like shortage of water and power, fast running electricity meters and inflated bills, the controversial liquor policy of the Delhi Government.

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