Centre 'blackmailing' EC into keeping Delhi civic polls on hold fearing BJP's defeat: AAP

Senior AAP leader Atishi (File image: Twitter/@AamAadmiParty)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is “blackmailing” the State Election Commissioner into keeping on hold the announcement of schedules for civic polls in the national capital for an “indefinite period”.

Keeping up the heat over the issue, the party alleged that the Centre has kept “a file of corruption” against Delhi State Election Commissioner S K Srivastava ready to make him follow its instructions as the BJP is set to suffer a “miserable defeat” in the civic polls, if conducted.

“We have learnt from reliable sources that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has kept a file ready on State Election Commissioner (SEC) S K Srivastava’s corruption. He was called, threatened, intimidated, blackmailed and told that he will be put behind the bars if polls were conducted,” AAP leader Durgesh Pathak told a press conference at party headquarters here.

This is “typical style” of the functioning of the Modi government “to run the country,” he charged.

Senior AAP leader Atishi appealed to the SEC to conduct the municipal polls, saying postponement of the announcement of its schedules has raised a question mark on the “functioning and integrity” of the poll panel.

“If you buckle under the pressure of the PMO, Union government’s intimation and threatening, and defer the elections, you will be starting the end of democracy in this country. Your name will be written in black letters in the history of this country,” she said.

Replying to questions at the press conference, both AAP leaders said the party is seeking legal opinion from experts on the issue and “if needed”, it will “definitely” approach the court seeking relief.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the municipal elections in the capital, saying postponing polls weakens the democratic system.

The chief minister also asked Srivastava to not “buckle” under pressure and tell the world whether he was being “threatened or lured”.

The BJP took umbrage at Kejriwal for “attacking” the Election Commission, saying he was “killing” democracy at the very grassroots by starving local bodies of funds.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here along with the party’s Delhi unit chief Aadesh Gupta, Union minister Smriti Irani said the BJP is “amused” that a party (AAP), which got less than NOTA votes in Uttar Pradesh, and lost deposits on 55 seats in Uttarakhand, claims it had a decisive impact in the state elections results.

Later, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia dared the BJP party to face the election instead of making “childish excuses”.

A row over the conduct of Delhi civic polls erupted after the SEC at a press conference called to announce the dates for the civic polls last week, dropped a surprise, saying he was “not able to announce” the announce the schedule “right now” as he had received “some communication” from the central government about half and an hour before the meet with journalists.