Ahead of Delhi civic polls, Gadkari attacks Congress

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Gadkari Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Delhi government, urging people to defeat the "corruption-riddled" Congress in the April 15 civic polls here.

"The civic polls are an opportunity for the people to teach (chief minister) Sheila Dikshit and her government a lesson. They must vote against the Congress which has indulged in corruption," said Gadkari, launching a handbook against the Congress-led central and Delhi governments.

The handbook talks about the alleged bungling in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in the city, the 2G case, the indictment of Diskhit by the lokayukta and other issues.

The handbook titled "Dilli mein Ghotalebajon ki Sarkar" (the government of scamsters in Delhi) will become the "talking point" in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, he said.

Citing the alleged bungling in the Games, Gadkari said: "The Delhi government led by Sheila Diskhit has indulged in corruption and it is proven by the detailed reports of the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General), lokayukta and the Shunglu Committee (which probed the alleged irregularities in the Games)."

"The people are fed up with the government at the centre and in the state. Price rise, and corruption are all which have been given by the Congress," he said.

Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta said: "The handbook on corruption will be used by candidates to make people aware the the Congress' wrongdoings."

Ballots will be cast April 15 for the MCD which was trifurcated with the hope that the civic agency, which was earlier a single humongous body, would function efficiently. Fifty percent seats have been reserved for women.

While the corporations of north and south Delhi will each have 104 wards, there will be 64 wards in east Delhi. Close to one crore voters are eligible to cast their votes to select municipal councillors.