Statehood for Delhi? AAP demands it, Congress says a committee can look into issue, and BJP remains silent
Despite multiple attempts, the Delhi BJP refused to respond on the matter.
3 min read
Arvind Kejriwal with Delhi LG V K Saxena (File Photo)The single most important political question in Delhi is its constitutional status. Unlike a full-fledged state or a Union Territory, Delhi is stuck between the two. It is neither a full state nor a Union Territory.
This means it has two power centres — an elected Chief Minister and a Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor who work against each other. It isn’t surprising as well because the party in power in this half state of Delhi and the party in power at the Centre and bitter political rivals.
The issue of Delhi’s constitutional status hasn’t become a central issue during this Lok Sabha election.
Saman Husain asked a single question to all three parties in the fray in Delhi: Do you want Delhi to upgrade to a full-fledged state, continue the current arrangement or downgrade to a Union Territory and run directly under the Centre?
“A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had made a judgment that the value of Delhi’s votes should be equivalent to that of other states… this has been ignored by the Centre using their usual dictatorial tactics… In its election manifesto, AAP has promised that Delhi will receive full statehood if an INDIA bloc government is formed at the Centre.”
Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi convener
When Article 370 was abrograted in Jammu & Kashmir and the state was downgraded to a union territory, AAP had supported the decision.
Congress
“There has been a long-standing discussion on the status of Delhi’s statehood… the BJP made a promise and since the last 10 years, they haven’t even started any discussion on the matter… There is no double-thought about the fact that the Congress has been saying repeatedly that Delhi should receive status of a full state… Though there was a sort of coordination maintained during Sheila Dikshit ji’s Chief Ministership in Delhi, even during the time when there was a BJP government at the Centre and a Congress government in Delhi, lately, we have seen a lot of obstacles come up due to the lack of statehood which has made Delhi suffer… the feasibility can only be looked into after a committee is formed to look into the matter”.
Anil Chaudhary, former Delhi Congress president
BJP
Despite multiple attempts, the Delhi BJP refused to respond on the matter.
During the 2014 polls, the BJP state unit had come out with a Delhi-specific manifesto where they had promised full statehood along with bringing police, DDA and MCD under one roof.
Delhi had become a Union Territory in 1956 after the State Reorganisation Act was passed due to which the post of the CM was removed. The post was then reinstated in 1993 even as Delhi did not receive full statehood.
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