AAP pushes Delhi civic budget but BJP says numbers on its side | Latest News Delhi

In the last budget, before the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) goes to polls in April, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to table the document in a session marred by continuous ruckus and violence as parties contested the proposed changes for the allocation of ₹17,002.6 crore in the 2025-26 fiscal. The leader of the house could not read the budget speech, and after fending off multiple attempts from the Opposition to snatch the budget documents, requested the house to consider the budget tabled. The AAP also claimed injury to a councillor.

Among the proposals passed on the day was an increase in expenses for the leader of the Opposition from ₹4 lakh to ₹7 lakh, which the Opposition severely criticised, alleging the AAP was making the provision for its benefit, predicting a loss in the civic polls. The proposals to be passed include the reduction of the mayor’s discretionary fund from ₹510 crore to ₹10 crore—with ₹500 crore to be made part of a ₹800-crore fund to regularise jobs of contractual workers—doubling of local area funds to councillors from ₹75 lakh to ₹1.55 crore, and an increase in expenses for the leader of the Opposition from ₹4 lakh to ₹7 lakh.

The confrontations on the day were due to the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both claiming to be the majority party. To be sure, the AAP became a minority in the house due to a series of defections to the BJP on February 15, a week since the latter’s resounding win in the Delhi Assembly elections. This has left the BJP with 116 councillors, AAP with 114 and Congress with eight in the run-up to civic polls. However, there has been no formal motion acknowledging the same, to lead to a change in the leadership.

Leader of the house Mukesh Goel also announced a property tax waiver scheme, but officials and the Opposition questioned the legality of the announcements.

Goel, in his budget speech, emphasised AAP’s accomplishments over the past 2.5 years, highlighting how the party focused its efforts towards financial stability, reducing arrears and ensuring timely salaries to employees. He also berated the Opposition for not allowing a single house of councillors meeting to proceed orderly since the AAP came to power in December 2022.

The house meeting started at 2.55pm and the BJP members rushed to the Well of the House, attempting to snatch the papers from Goel. The leader of the house climbed and jumped across several rows of seats, where he was shielded by AAP councillors, amid which he read out the cut motions for approvals, adjourned the house for 10 minutes and upon resumption, confirmed the approvals in the minutes of the meeting.

A total of 31 cut or amendment motions were moved by both parties: 23 from the BJP and eight from the AAP. Twelve amendments, six by each party, were passed through voice vote amid the chaos.

Goel said the BJP’s proposals to be passed included an additional budget provision of ₹1 crore for streetlights and high mast lights, an additional ₹50 lakh for Chhath Puja, and additional funds for women’s toilets. “A provision of ₹800 crore has been made in the budget to regularise 12,000 daily wage earners and contract employees working in the corporation permanent. This amount will be taken from the head of road maintenance,” he said.

According to the budget speech, a copy of which was accessed by HT, the house of councillors was said to have passed a proposal last month providing total tax exemption to properties up to 100 square yards, and a 50% waiver to properties of 100-500 sq yards. “House should issue immediate directions to implement this scheme and continue it in coming years,” the speech read.

A senior MCD official, requesting anonymity, said there was no legal sanctity to this as appropriate changes had not been made to budgetary heads. “This is just a political statement. The schedule of tax has already been passed in February with no changes in tax rates,” the official said.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Raja Iqbal Singh said that the budget was passed in an unconstitutional manner and questioned the use of the mayor’s discretionary fund of ₹500 crore and the ₹500 crore allocated for road construction to regularise jobs of contractual works.

Singh said that before the MCD elections, the AAP made 10 guarantees to the people of Delhi, but alleged that not one was fulfilled. “Not only have employees not been regularised, but the sanitation system has also not been improved. Corruption has increased under AAP’s government, and the work of clearing the mountain of garbage has been stalled.”