MCD poll results a verdict against Master Plan: RWAs

New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Reacting to the results of the MCD polls which saw the BJP make huge gains and is all set to return to power, the Resident Welfare Associations described the verdict as ''a vindication of our stand against the Master Plan''.

''The Congress Party's insistence on going ahead with a Master Plan designed to appease law-breakers, the builder lobby and the trader community has backfired in a big way and the election results are a clear vindication of our continued stand against imposition of this motivated document,'' said Mr Sanjay Kaul, President, People's Action.

RWAs as well as civil society groups across the city had resisted the Master Plan as a political manifesto of the Congress Party which would lead to more chaos in Delhi.

Ms Alpana Kishore, Convenor of New Delhi People's Alliance (NDPA), a consortium of various civil society groups in Delhi said, ''this is a sign from the electorate about the ground resistance to the Master Plan and one of the first things to be done now is to shelve it and start afresh with greater public participation.'' RWAs were also of the opinion the cumulative damage to the lives of ordinary citizens of Delhi by the terrorism of the DISCOMs after power privatisation had turned the people against the regime.

''We cannot ignore the fact that power privatisation has become the single most common source of harrassment for the citizens of Delhi, be it the bills, the meters, the service and maintenance or the behaviour of the DISCOMs,'' said Mr Atul Goyal, Coordinator of United RWAs Joint Action [URJA] West Delhi.

Mr Goyal added they considered the verdict a fitting reply also to the state government for its policy of aggression against power consumers.

RWA selected candidates, who stood as independents in 21 wards, were largely carried away by the anti-incumbancy vote in favour of the BJP, but according to tentative reports, they took third position in five wards, namely Rohini, Vishnu Garden, Bindapur, Shalimar Bagh, and Rajendra Nagar. The Vishnu Garden candidate Vinod Sharma polled the highest votes among these five with approx. 2745 votes against the BJP's 3400 and the JMM's 4001.

UNI