A union of Anganwadi workers here on Thursday announced that it would boycott the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections and campaign against the BJP and the AAP over the "abrupt" termination of 884 of their counterparts.
The 250-ward Municipal Corporation of Delhi goes to polls on December 4 and the results will be declared on December 7. Shivani Kaul, president of the Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, said all 22,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers under its ambit and their family members would not cast their votes for the AAP or the BJP.
The union will also hold a 'vote bandi' campaign against the two parties, she said. "Not only will the 22,000 Anganwadi workers (in the union) not vote for either of these two parties but their families and friends will actively boycott them. We will also hold campaigns for a complete 'vote bandi' of these two parties," Kaul said.
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She alleged that political parties had always "used" Anganwadi workers and helpers as "vote banks" and "tools" in their campaigns. "All the parties have used Anganwadi workers as a vote bank and a tool for their campaigns as they are aware that we have access to every nook and corner. We will target all those parties who terminated our workers instead of listening to their constitutional demands," she said.
Anita, another Anganwadi helper, said the Congress was no exception as senior party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the Delhi government in a case against the terminated workers at the high court.
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"We saw the true colours of all the parties during our strike. Both the BJP and the AAP worked hand-in-glove against us. And the Congress is no exception," she alleged. "The Delhi government is being represented by senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the high court."
Anita added that the Anganwadi workers would not allow BJP and AAP leaders to campaign in their areas. The union said the Delhi government issued termination notices to 884 Anganwadi workers and show-cause notices to another 11,942 for taking part in a 39-day strike to press for a hike in minimum wage and respectable work hours.
(With PTI inputs)
