BJP, Congress Slam Kejriwal Over Promise To Abolish House Tax

New Delhi: Opposition BJP and Congress on Saturday dubbed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's promise to abolish residential property tax if AAP wins the MCD polls, as an "election gimmick".

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said Kejriwal government has yet to fulfil its earlier poll promises as it a nothing but a "Jumla Sarkar" or a government of gimmicks. "Kejriwal government has not fulfilled any of its election promises and it is nothing but a 'Jumla' government," he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister on Saturday said his party will abolish the residential house tax and waive off arrears if voted to power in the capital's civic bodies, as he sought to aggressively woo voters ahead of the April 23 polls. Kejriwal contended that the house tax has become a "major" source of corruption and promised that his party, which is making its civic polls debut, will end it. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that the promise by Kejriwal is "shameful" as his government had been "forcing" BJP-ruled three municipal corporations to "sternly" levy and realise house tax.

"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is saying once AAP wins civic elections it will exempt residential properties from house tax but during last two years his government has several times written to three corporations to levy and realise the tax sternly especially from those living in unauthorised colonies". Maken claimed that the AAP government is taking Delhi from a fiscal surplus to fiscal deficit state, adding that abolition of residential house tax will "ruin" the municipal corporations.