Arvind Kejriwal government will be strict with MLAs

Posted on Feb 14 2015 - 1:48pm by IBC News

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Patparganj, Manish Sisodia, has said that the Arvind Kejriwal government will be strict with the lawmakers and will take action against them if needed.

Sisodia is likely to be made Deputy Chief Minister in Kejriwal’s cabinet.

In an interview to Times of India, the AAP leader said that the party has a comfortable pool of MLAs and it will set standards for them to follow so that ‘unwanted’ differences can be avoided.

“Last year was a test for us. God wanted to see how we would deal with 28 MLAs.

We do not foresee any problem… even if someone created issues, the party had in past no hesitation in taking action. This time, we have a comfortable pool of MLAs and we will set standards for them to follow,†he said.

Furthermore, Sisodia, while referring to people who quit other political parties to join the AAP, said that they were inspired by the anti-corruption movement.

“They know that there can’t be any trace of corruption in the party. They have also passed the test of character,†Sisodia said.

“It is not just them… the party will be strict with all other MLAs.

We can finally afford to be strict,†Sisodia added.

When asked about the government’s immediate plans, he said, “The Budget will probably be delayed slightly. The party has a 70-point agenda and we have already started work on all the issues.â€

On Wednesday, at a meeting with Delhi Chief Secretary DM Spolia, CM-designate Kejriwal asked him to prepare a roadmap for implementation of AAP’s 70-point manifesto which includes 50 per cent cut in power tariff, free Wi-Fi across the city and installation of 10-15 lakh CCTVs.

He said that the government will table the Jan Lokpal and Swaraj Bills in the second session of the Assembly.

The leader further said that the government will push for the CAG audit of power companies at the earliest.

Kejriwal’s AAP decimated the BJP and the Congress by recorded a landslide victory, securing 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP managed to bag only 3 seats.

The party had in December 2013 polls won 28 seats. With the outside support from the Congress, having 8 MLAs, it had formed government. However, the AAP government resigned in February after it failed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill.

It should be noted that, senior AAP leader and top lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, had yesterday in a blog written that the biggest challenge for Delhi CM-designate Arvind Kejriwal will be to control the newly elected legislators that they don’t compromise with the principles of the party on several fronts.

He had feared that some people who were taken in the party from opponent parties are ‘completely immoral’. “Fighting elections is a business for them but I will not say anything further. I will raise these issues within the party.’

The AAP government will take oath on February 14 at Ramlila Maidan.