Will leave AAP in 2020: MLA Alka Lamba
New Delhi: Disgruntled Aam Aadmi Party legislator Alka Lamba has announced that she would leave the party next year.
"My journey started with you in 2013 will end in 2020. My best wishes will be with the dedicated revolutionary ground workers of the party, hopefully you will remain a strong alternative in Delhi. The last six years have been memorable and I have learnt a lot from you," the Chandni Chowk MLA said in a tweet.
She did not say whether she would quit AAP before or after the assembly election due in Delhi next year. Lamba has been at odds with the party for some time now.
On Saturday, Lamba sought accountability from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on the crushing defeat of the party in Lok Sabha polls following which she was removed from the official WhatsApp group of the party lawmakers. AAP did not win any of the seven parliamentary seats in Delhi.
Sharing screenshots on Twitter where it can be seen that she was removed by AAP's North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey from the group, Lamba lashed out at Kejriwal and said why is she being held responsible for the party's loss in Lok Sabha elections.
Hinting at Kejriwal, she said action should be taken against those who took all decisions "sitting in a closed room".
"I have always been telling the party what you (Kejriwal) are telling them now. I am sometimes added to the group, sometimes removed. It would have been better if a meeting was held to introspect, look at the shortcomings and move ahead, she said.
This is the second time that Lamba has been dropped from the WhatsApp group. Previously, she was dropped in December last year when she raised objection to AAP's resolution to revoke Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.
However, she was added before the campaigning for Lok Sabha polls started and was expected to campaign for the party.
But Lamba refused to campaign for the party and even refrained from participating in Kejriwal's roadshow after she was asked to walk behind his car during the event.
In April, Lamba engaged in a bitter Twitter spat with AAP's Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had taunted her to resign from the party.
Following the spat, Lamba addressed a large crowd outside Jama Masjid and said the party was repeatedly demanding her resignation. She alleged that the party leadership was "weakening" her and said she is being accused of attempting to switch over to the Congress.
Alka Lamba won the Chandni Chowk assembly seat for the first time in 2013. Before joining Kejriwal, Lamba was part of the Congress women wing.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka bypolls: BJP criticism driven by ‘fear of defeat’, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bagalkote (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the BJP’s criticism of the Congress government reflects a "fear of defeat" ahead of the April 9 bypolls.
He added that the state’s guarantee schemes are an investment in social commitment and inclusive development.
Speaking to reporters in Bagalkote, he expressed confidence that the Congress would win both bypoll-bound constituencies, adding that the campaign has received an unprecedented response, surpassing expectations.
The bypolls were necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented the Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies, respectively.
"We have provided schemes for people belonging to all castes, religions, and languages. The BJP is opposing the guarantee schemes out of fear of defeat, but these guarantees are an investment that delivers social commitment. This, too, is development," Siddaramaiah said.
The guarantee schemes are ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’.
He added that development is not limited to physical infrastructure.
"Development does not mean only roads, bridges, and buildings. It also includes providing economic and social security," he said.
The CM stated that the BJP has opposed welfare measures since their inception and rejected claims that the state’s finances are under strain.
Referring to remarks by PM Narendra Modi and others, he said, "They (BJP leaders) have been claiming that the state will go bankrupt. However, guarantee schemes have been in force for the past three years, and till March 24, 2026, Rs 1.31 lakh crore has been spent on them." He maintained that spending on key sectors has not been curtailed.
"While Rs 42,000 crore was spent last year, more than Rs 44,000 crore is being spent this year," Siddaramaiah said, adding that expenditure on irrigation, public works, rural development, drinking water, policing, and SCSP/TSP schemes has not been reduced.
Development works have not slowed down, he added.
Accusing the BJP of running a smear campaign, Siddaramaiah said that allegations of excessive borrowing were "false propaganda".
"Saying that I have taken excessive loans is a blatant lie. We have not violated the norms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and have maintained fiscal discipline," Siddaramaiah said.
Further, the CM advised BJP leaders to properly read the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
"The fiscal deficit should be within 3 per cent of GDP, and debt within 25 per cent of GDP. Our debt stands at 24.94 per cent, so it has not exceeded the limit," he said.
Stressing adherence to fiscal norms, he added that no state can borrow indiscriminately, as borrowing limits are fixed by the Union Finance Ministry.
He also claimed that Karnataka’s economic performance is stronger than that of the Centre.
Stating that the Centre’s GDP growth is 7.14 per cent while Karnataka’s is 8.1 per cent, Siddaramaiah said the state has outperformed the union government.
Drawing a comparison on public debt, he said that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and cumulatively since Independence, total debt stood at Rs 53.11 lakh crore, which has risen to Rs 218 lakh crore by March 2026.
He alleged that in the past 12 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone has added Rs 165 lakh crore in debt.
The CM criticised the BJP’s track record in the state, saying it failed to deliver on its promises despite being in power for nine years.
"Out of 165 promises made in the Congress manifesto in 2013, 158 were fulfilled. The BJP has not even fulfilled 10 per cent of its promises. They should speak the truth before the people during elections instead of spreading lies," he said.
In addition, he urged the BJP to highlight its own achievements instead of criticising Congress.
"During my tenure, the quantity of rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme was increased, which the BJP government later reduced. It was the Congress-led central government that implemented the Food Security Act, the Right to Work, and the Right to Education," he said.
Taking a swipe at the opposition’s campaign strategy, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP had stooped to a low level by using expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for campaigning.
"They have resorted to such acts out of fear of defeat. We will not react to statements of the opposition; we will present the work of the government before the people," he added.
