In an unlikely move, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) east Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir praised Congress, even as he took a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the MCD elections next week.
While speaking at a media event, the cricketer-turned-politician said that the BJP has not been in power in Delhi for 23 years now but even before that when the Congress party ruled, “development work was done”.
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“The way Delhi has deteriorated in the past eight years, I haven’t seen anything like this before. I have been in Delhi for 41 years now…and it takes a lot of courage for a BJP MP to say that development work did happen during the Congress party’s reign. However, whatever has been happening in the last eight years, are only vote bank politics,” Gambhir said at the event.
Indian Youth Congress’s national president Srinivas BV took to Twitter to share the video clip of the moment Gambhir made the remarks. “Listen to the ‘serious’ talk of BJP MP Gautam…,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
Karnataka Congress Seva Dal also reacted to Gambhir’s comments, writing on Twitter “listen to the Maan ki baat of BJP MP Gautam Gambhir…”
The BJP MP’s comments come ahead of the crucial Delhi MCD elections on December 4. The AAP headed by party boss and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is aiming to take control of the MCDs, where the BJP has been in power for the last 15 years.
Kejriwal’s side is banking on anti-incumbency to wrest MCDs control. In its manifesto, it has promised to make the national capital “garbage-free” and also focused on bettering roads, healthcare and schools, among others.
The BJP has also focused on garbage and schools in its manifesto.
The results of the Delhi MCD polls will release on December 7.
