BJP, AAP, Congress leaders step up campaign for MCD polls

With a day left for campaigning for the municipal polls in Delhi, leaders of various political parties, including the AAP, BJP and the Congress, on Thursday stepped up their efforts to woo voters through rallies, audio-video messages and door-to-door canvassing.

Among those who addressed rallies during the day included Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and union ministers Rajnath Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Smriti Irani. Kejriwal posted a video message and an audio message from him was also received by people on their mobile phones.

Rajnath Singh, who addressed rallies in Kirari and Mustafabad, said the Narendra Modi government took tough decisions in the past year including surgical strike and demonetisation and got massive support of people.

"People of Delhi have been deprived of inclusive development during the last two years because Aam Admi Party (AAP) government did not take benefits of central schemes to the poor," he said.

Shah addressed a rally in Matiyala near Dwarka Mor in west Delhi, while Smriti Irani addressed a gathering in Vishwas Nagar.

In his video message, Kejriwal promised to clean up the national capital in one year if his AAP won Sunday's municipal election.

Kejriwal said the BJP had failed to keep Delhi clean despite controlling the municipal corporation for 10 years.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken and former union ministers Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid and Sashi Tharoor were among those who campaigned for the party.

Leaders of Janata Dal-United and Swaraj India also campaigned in different parts of the metropolis.

Voting for the three municipal corporations in Delhi will be held on Sunday.

--IANS

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