MCD bypolls: Delhi people fed up with 'Modi-Kejriwal bickering', says Ajay Maken

Spurred by winning four seats in the MCD by-polls, Congress on Tuesday dubbed it as a "setback" for both AAP and BJP and a sign of its revival.

"Its a clear message by the people of Delhi that the Congress rule was the best and it should come back to power," an elated Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said during a media briefing at party office in New Delhi.

The Congress rebel Rajender Singh Tanwar who won in Bhati ward was also present on the occasion. Maken said Tanwar has joined the party.

Hitting out at both Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maken said, Delhi people were "fed up" with "Modi-Kejriwal bickering".

"Both AAP & BJP must improve their governance. This is a "warning bell" from the people of Delhi to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

He demanded that the 21 AAP MLAs who have been given notices by the Election Commission for holding office of profit should resign. They were appointed as Parliamentary secretaries by the Kejriwal.
Maken threatened an agitation if they failed to quit in the wake of the EC notice.

Talking to reporters, Maken, who is also senior AICC spokesperson, said that the victory is significant in view of the fact that the Congress had not won any of these seats in the 2007 and 2012 MCD elections. 

Maken attacks AAP and BJP

He claimed while AAP's vote share has reduced by 26 per cent, BJP's vote share fell by 5%. He claimed that Delhi voters specially those belonging to Purvanchal (in UP), JJ clusters, street vendors and minorities extended their "full fledged" support to Congress candidates in the municipal bypolls.

"People who were traditionally with the Congress have come back to it," he remarked.

People were "fed up" with the "false claims" of BJP and AAP on the issues of "price rise, corruption and governance" and voted for Congress, Maken said asserting that the atmosphere was conducive for a return of the party to the power. He said that the party will now focus on the forthcoming MCD elections in 2017 and in strengthening the organisation.

"In next four months, we will come out with the road map on MCDs focusing on sanitation, financial status and corruption that had been major issues during the decade long rule of BJP in three municipal corporations," he added.

The Congress candidates who won the elections from four wards were also present on the occasion along with senior party leaders. The ecstatic Congressmen burst crackers while a large number of them invaded the press briefing venue even as a smiling and elated Maken found it difficult to rein in them.

Congress was in power in Delhi for 15 long years till December 2013, under the leadership of Shiela Dikshit. Congress victory showed a dramatic jump in its vote share from just 6.8 per cent to nearly 30 per cent in the 13 seats which have been spread all over the national capital.