Five out of six Delhi ministers out of city, campaigning

Five out of the six ministers of the Delhi government were out of the national capital on Thursday, leaving the burden of entire government working on the only AAP minister left behind in Delhi, Imran Hussain.

In the run-up to the Punjab assembly elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been campaigning in that north-western Indian state for over a month now, barring a few days when he came to Delhi.

While Kejriwal was leading a road show in Ludhiana on Thursday, his deputy Manish Sisodia was campaigning in Patiala.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra, one of the star campaigners for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was in Pathankot on Thursday, electioneering for the party candidates.

Labour Minister Gopal Rai, who campaigned extensively in Goa for the AAP candidates filded for the state assembly polls, was also in Punjab on Thursday.

Many AAP legislators have also been campaigning in Punjab and Goa, both of which go to polls on February 4.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain was, meanwhile, out of the country to attend a health conference in Thailand.

Only Environment Minister Imran Hussain was available in the capital to answer for the Delhi government and shoulder its working on Thursday.

Slamming the AAP leaders for "abandoning" the city, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijender Gupta said while Delhi is facing issues related to pollution and school admission, among many others, the whole Delhi cabinet is busy campaigning for elections elsewhere in the country.

"People in Delhi are suffering as the ministers have deserted the capital for campaigning and public issues are not being addressed," he said.

A government official, requesting anonymity, said that most of the star campaigners had left for Delhi in the afternoon after campaigning in several constituencies in Punjab on Thursday morning, so that government work in Delhi is not affected.

--IANS

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