<h1 id="article-0">CAG report flags lapses in quality control of Delhi&rsquo;s liquor supply &ndash; &lsquo;compliance reports from in-house labs</h1>
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<p>The CAG report on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's excise policy, tabled in the Delhi assembly on Tuesday, flagged, among other discrepancies, that the national capital's liquor wholesalers failed to submit mandatory quality tests verifying compliance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms.</p>
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<p>According to the report tabled in the Delhi assembly by&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/rekha-gupta-delhi-cm-left-state-exchequer-empty-slams-aap-11740327025431.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chief Minister Rekha Gupta</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, reports on water quality, harmful ingredients, heavy metals, and methyl alcohol were also not submitted for various brands.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/topic/comptroller-and-auditor-general-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comptroller and Auditor General&nbsp;</a>(CAG) report, &lsquo;Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi, ' has flagged 'irregularities' that point towards deficient cross-checks of the test reports. It also highlights cases of unreliable test certificates being submitted and accepted by the Delhi government's excise department.</p>
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<p>Test reports for quality compliance were from unaccredited laboratories. Licences were issued to applicants of wholesale licensees (L1 &amp; L1F) despite failure to submit test reports, fully compliant with the parameters laid down as per BIS norms,&rdquo; it reads.</p>
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<p>The CAG report on the AAP government's 2021-22 excise policy also pointed out that in 51 per cent of foreign liquor test cases, reports were either older than one year, missing, or had no date.</p>
<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government plans to table at least 14 such reports pertaining to the functioning of the AAP government in the assembly in the coming days.</p>
<p>Out of a total of 385 test reports required to be submitted, 196 (50.91 per cent) test reports furnished were older than one year/or no test report was provided/date not mentioned. In one of the cases, a Test Report more than nine years old was accepted by the&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/liquor-alcohol-delhi-excise-policy-excise-department-elections-dsiidc-brand-pushing-11737091555744.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Excise Department</a>&nbsp;for issue of a license. Thus, no quality claim can be made about the liquor actually supplied, as the reports were from entirely different, older batches,&rdquo; the CAG report says on page number 52, flagging what it calls &lsquo;violation of quality norms.</p>
<p>The report emphasises that ensuring that the liquor supplied in Delhi conforms to prescribed quality standards is the responsibility of the excise department. It also says that the rules make it mandatory for the wholesalers to submit various test reports at the time of issue of licenses.</p>
<p>Audit observed a number of instances where test reports were not compliant with BIS Specifications and the Excise Department issued licenses despite major shortcomings. Important test reports of water quality, harmful ingredients, heavy metals, methyl alcohol, microbiological tests reports etc., were not submitted for various brands,&rdquo; the report reads highlighting the &lsquo;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/aap-govts-excise-policy-led-to-2-000-crore-revenue-loss-says-cag-report-tabled-by-cm-rekha-gupta-in-delhi-assembly-11740467555917.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inadequate Quality Control</a>&rsquo; in the executive summary.</p>
<p>The report also flagged that some test reports submitted by licensees were from labs not accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/budget/budget-2024-nabl-food-testing-labs-street-food-hubs-fssai-11721731517271.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a>), violating FSSAI guidelines.</p>
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<p>The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act recognizes Alcohol as afood item.&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/topic/food-safety-and-standards-authority-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FSSAI&nbsp;</a>regularly publishes a list of NABL-accredited laboratories. The parameters for testing alcoholic beverages is mentioned in Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018. There are also separate BIS standards for testing various liquor types.</p>
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<p>According to the CAG report, deficient test certificates were also noticed during the scrutiny of test-checked reports. The CAG of India says that there is an urgent need for the excise department should proactively monitor the quality of alcohol and frame stringent quality standards, and ensure compliance with the same.</p>
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<p>The 208-page CAG report, divided into eight chapters, highlights the lapses in implementing the now-scrapped&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-residents-alcohol-buyers-may-head-to-noida-gurugram-as-more-options-emerge-with-up-new-liquor-policy-india-details-11738916054568.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi excise policy,</a><a target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>which eventually led to a loss of approximately&nbsp;<span class="webrupee">₹</span>2,002 crore to the Delhi government.</p>
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<p>The&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/confirms-our-point-ex-cm-atishi-demands-cbi-probe-into-cag-report-on-delhi-liquor-policy-aap-bjp-assembly-session-11740480150169.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Excise Policy</a>, introduced in November 2021, was pitched as a game-changer for Delhi&rsquo;s liquor market. However, the policy faced criticism amid allegations of corruption and financial irregularities. Top AAP leaders in the Delhi government, including Arvind Kejriwal and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livemint.com/topic/manish-sisodia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manish Sisodia,</a>were arrested in the case and eventually released on bail.</p>
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<h2><strong>Quality Compliance Reports from in-house labs</strong></h2>
<p>Among other discrepancies on quality of liquor, the CAG report found that in at least 226 cases of&nbsp;<a class="manualbacklink" href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/ruUnxMQLk1clkjQwXQVgeO/Govt-simplifies-rules-for-trademark-registration.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brand Registration&nbsp;</a>(58.70 per cent), Quality Compliance Reports were provided from In-House laboratories or related companies or reports were not provided at all. Such reports did not represent an independent assessment of the quality of the liquor and were thus not dependable, it said.</p>
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The CAG report highlights alarming quality control failures in the AAP government's excise policy

CAG report flags lapses in quality control of Delhi’s liquor supply

<h1 class="hdg1">Delhi Assembly: 12 AAP MLAs marshaled out, suspended for day over protests</h1>
<h3 class="sortDec">AAP MLAs launched a protest in the Delhi Assembly while lieutenant governor VK Saxena was addressing the House</h3>
<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong>&nbsp;Twelve Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, including leader of opposition Atishi and senior leader Gopal Rai, were marshaled out and suspended for the day as they launched a protest in the Delhi Assembly while lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena was addressing the House on Tuesday morning. The remaining AAP MLAs staged a walkout.</p>
<p>Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered the marshals to escort the protesting MLAs out of the House as they raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government alleging that the pictures of national icons BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from the office of chief minister. AAP alleged that the BJP government is &ldquo;anti-Dalit.</p>
<p>Chief minister Rekha Gupta refuted the claims of the AAP leaders saying that the pictures of the national icons were still present in the CM&rsquo;s office chamber. BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva said the AAP leaders were &ldquo;spreading lies.</p>
<p>CM Rekha Gupta on Monday said it was the tactics of the AAP to hide their corruption behind Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. &ldquo;This are their tactics to hide their corruption and wrongdoings behind Babasahab Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh. You are inside this chamber, should the pictures of the head of the government not be put up? Should the photo of the President of the country not be put up? Should the photo of Father of the Nation Gandhi ji not be put up? Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb are respectable personalities of the country, revered, and our guide. So, this room is of the CM of Delhi and as the head of the Delhi government, I have given them the space. It is not my work to answer their remarks, I am answerable to the people and will answer for them,&rdquo; she told media persons in her office in Delhi Assembly after the row broke out.</p>
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AAP MLAs launched a protest in the Delhi Assembly while lieutenant governor VK Saxena was addressing the House

12 AAP MLAs marshaled out, suspended for day over protests

<h1 class="title">Delhi CM oath-taking ceremony Rekha Gupta to be sworn in as Delhi&rsquo;s 4th woman Chief Minister today</h1>
<h3 class="sub-title">Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta assured that her government will fulfill its promise of providing ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women</h3>
<p>First-time&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/rekha-gupta-delhi-new-chief-minister/article69239166.ece" target="_self">MLA Rekha Gupta</a>&nbsp;will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/rekha-gupta-to-take-oath-as-delhis-ninth-cm-today/article69239971.ece" target="_self">take oath as Delhi&rsquo;s ninth Chief Minister</a>&nbsp;on Thursday (February 20, 2025) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda, and Chief Ministers and Deputy CMs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled States, said sources.</p>
<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-cm-pick-rekha-gupta-is-a-grassroots-leader-with-rssabvp-background/article69239906.ece" target="_self">Delhi CM pick Rekha Gupta is a grassroots leader with RSS&ndash;ABVP background</a></strong></p>
<p>Delhi Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta assured that her government will fulfill its promise of providing ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women and added that the AAP would be held accountable for its actions during its rule.</p>
<p>The first installment of the monthly support would be credited to eligible women&rsquo;s accounts by March 8, said Ms. Gupta</p>
<p>Former Delhi CM Atishi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat are among those invited to the swearing-in ceremony at Ramlila Maidan. Invitations have also been extended to JJ cluster residents, gig workers, as well as taxi and autorickshaw drivers.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>I will be in the BJP till my last breath: Parvesh Verma</h3>
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<p>BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh, who will take oath as a Delhi Minister today, says, &ldquo;We have a huge responsibility towards Delhi. People of Delhi gave us immense love and blessings.</p>
<p>I thank party chief JP Nadda, HM Amit Shah. Under the leadership, we received a good direction for Delhi and we formed the Govt,&rdquo; he adds.</p>
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<p>I always says that I am a disciplined worker of the BJP and will always be one, I will be in the BJP till my last breath...I will shoulder whatever responsibility is given to me by the party,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;</p>
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Rekha Gupta, the newly appointed Chief Minister-Designate of Delhi, is set to lead with innovation and dedication.

Rekha Gupta, the newly appointed Chief Minister

Delhi Chief Minister-Designate Rekha Gupta: A New Era of Leadership

<h1>Mamata always fought independently: Sanjay Raut on TMC going solo for 2026 West Bengal polls</h1>
<p>Following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration of contesting the 2026 state assembly polls alone, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday stated that the Trinamool leader had always contested "independently," be it the Lok Sabha or the State Assembly.</p>
<p>During a press conference in the national capital, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP said that despite this decision of Banerjee to cut ties with the INDIA bloc in the state, she should continue to have "dialogue" with the Congress as the party is a big part of the alliance.</p>
<p>Mamata Banerjee has always fought independently--be it Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha. Congress is a big part of the INDIA alliance and she should always continue to have dialogue with Congress," Raut said.</p>
<p>Speaking on the meeting between Punjab AAP MLAs and party leader Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi following the loss in the recently concluded Delhi polls, Raut said it is an internal matter for the AAP to handle.<br><br>"AAP is governing Punjab and the party high command is in Delhi. What's wrong with calling a party meeting to work on strategies for the betterment of the party? What's wrong with it? It's their party's internal matter," he added.</p>
<div class="growfast_widget custom_ad initiated">Meanwhile, on the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation into AAP's allegations of horse-trading against the BJP, Raut remarked that such issues have been present in various states and should be closely examined.<br><br>"They have just won the elections. The investigations have just begun. Money plays a big role in elections. We have seen it in Maharashtra; it must have happened in Delhi as well," Raut stated.<br><br>Earlier on Thursday, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to poach the candidates of AAP, offering them Rs 15 crore each. BJP has vehemently denied the allegations.<br><br></div>
<div class="growfast_widget custom_ad initiated">Some agencies are showing that the 'Gali Galoch party' (referring to the BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave AAP and join their party, they will make them ministers and will give Rs. 15 crores to each of them," Kejriwal said.</div>
<div class="growfast_widget custom_ad initiated">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="growfast_widget custom_ad initiated">Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena's principal secretary has written to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government to conduct an ACB inquiry on allegations of bribes offered to MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party.<br>
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Mamata always fought independently: Sanjay Raut on TMC going solo for 2026 West Bengal polls

Mamata always fought independently

<h2 class="synopsis">Findings of the Lokniti-CSDS Survey show that the party, as represented by its leadership, was a key factor for both BJP and AAP voters. Only a handful of respondents referred to the CM candidate as a key factor influencing their choice.</h2>
<p>In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP did not declare a chief ministerial candidate. It kept the focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the &ldquo;face&rdquo; of its campaign, seeking votes on the promise of the &ldquo;Modi guarantees&rdquo;. For the AAP, the electoral campaign and strategy revolved around the persona of Arvind Kejriwal.</p>
<p>The Lokniti-CSDS Survey conducted around the time of the elections indicates that for a majority of the respondents (57%), the party was the most critical consideration when deciding whom to vote for. Close to one-third of the respondents (32%) mentioned the candidate as being the key factor behind their voting decision. A handful of the respondents referred to the CM candidate as a key factor influencing their voting choice.</p>
<p>Asked about their preferred CM choice (without any names being suggested) close to four of every ten (39%) mentioned Kejriwal. In contrast, 31% of respondents indicated they would support anyone from the&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/about/bjp/" rel="noamphtml">BJP</a>, while 6% named specific BJP leaders.</p>
<p>More than eight of every 10 respondents who voted for the BJP (85%) stated the influence of PM Modi on their choice. Similarly, three-fourths of those who voted for the AAP (72%) stated that Kejriwal influenced their voting choice.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, for BJP voters, Modi&rsquo;s leadership and the party holding out guarantees in his name appeared to be key factors that swung the vote in the party&rsquo;s favour. In the case of the AAP, the presence of Kejriwal appeared to be a key factor in encouraging voters to choose it.</p>
<p>In important ways, Modi represented the party for BJP voters as did Kejriwal for AAP voters. This is in consonance with the opening argument that the party, as represented by its leadership, was a key factor for both BJP and AAP voters.Shastri is Director-Academics, NITTE Education Trust and the National Coordinator of the Lokniti Network.</p>
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In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP did not declare a chief

In AAP-BJP face-off, what mattered more to Delhi voters

In AAP-BJP face-off, what mattered more to Delhi voters: party or CM face?

<h1 id="main-heading-article" class="native_story_title">In race to the finish against AAP in Delhi, a look back at BJP&rsquo;s hits and misses</h1>
<p class="synopsis">The party put in its all, toeing the AAP narrative where needed, shifting focus to middle class, deploying Narendra Modi as its face.</p>
<p>AS DELHI votes Wednesday, the BJP is widely seen as having closed the gap with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after 10 years of overwhelming dominance of the Capital&rsquo;s political landscape by the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit.</p>
<p class="no_first_intro_para">Not one to take any contest lightly, the&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/about/bjp/" rel="noamphtml">BJP</a>&nbsp;put in its all into the&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/section/cities/delhi/" rel="noamphtml">Delhi</a>&nbsp;fight &ndash; whose import goes far beyond the Capital as the AAP remains virtually the only party making the BJP sweat in the North.</p>
<div class="ev-meter-content ie-premium-content-block">
<p>If this meant conceding the success of the AAP&rsquo;s freebie narrative, the BJP did that. So, ignoring the fact that Kejriwal started the AAP campaign with &ldquo;Revdi pe charcha&rdquo;, cocking a snook at Prime Minister&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/about/narendra-modi/" rel="noamphtml">Narendra Modi</a>&rsquo;s description of welfare schemes as &ldquo;revdi&rdquo;, the BJP went out of its way to reassure the Delhi electorate that it would not stop the AAP government&rsquo;s schemes if it wins.</p>
<p>When the AAP rolled out its middle class push to correct the image that its government worked exclusively for the poor, the BJP was close behind. Though traditionally seen as a party backed by the middle class, the BJP has in recent years branched out to woo the backward classes to spread its umbrella. After the AAP changed tack, the BJP turned to its middle class base as well, with Modi pointedly saying that the tax relief in this year&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="keywordtourl" href="https://indianexpress.com/about/budget/" rel="noamphtml">Union Budget</a> made it &ldquo;the most middle class friendly Budget in India&rsquo;s history.</p>
<p>The middle class comprises a big chunk of Delhi&rsquo;s voters, and the BJP is confident that the budgetary proposals have gone down well with the businesses in Delhi that are mostly medium and small and micro enterprises. BJP leaders also point to the Udyam or Micro Enterprise credit card introduced in the Budget.</p>
<p>The other significant group in Delhi for which the Budget holds promise is the salaried class, also largely falling in the mid-income group.</p>
<p>The BJP is hoping that the Budget relief, coupled with general unhappiness among middle-class voters over the AAP governance record on issues such as quality of life, air and water pollution, and infrastructure development, could draw more middle-class voters out to vote.</p>
<p>And that the mix of its track record on &ldquo;development&rdquo; at the Centre, its inherent support base in the Capital, its new welfare promises and the belief in &ldquo;Modi&rsquo;s guarantee&rdquo; will draw the BJP enough support across the board to finish ahead of the AAP.</p>
<p>However, not everyone in the party is so sure. &ldquo;The segment which benefits the most from the tax rebate does not decide elections. Delhi voting may remain dominated by the very poor and those dependent on the welfare schemes of the government,&rdquo; a party leader said, adding that this holds true for even the New Delhi seat from where Kejriwal is contesting. &ldquo;The basti (slum) votes decide who wins the constituency&hellip; The middle class has never been a deciding factor in Delhi elections,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>And should the BJP get the votes of the poor and low-income groups, and win, it may still require a recalibration by the party, a senior leader said. &ldquo;Every party in India, be it Leftist, Rightist, centrist or capitalist, now agrees with welfare politics. There is no contradiction in it. The revdi talk is over.</p>
<p>If the BJP game plan faltered anywhere, it was its campaign against Kejriwal on corruption charges. Despite the AAP supremo&rsquo;s initial rise as an anti-corruption crusader, it didn&rsquo;t appear to matter to voters that he had spent time in jail on excise policy scam charges &ndash; not proved &ndash; or that he had given himself a so-called &ldquo;Sheesh Mahal&rdquo; at the CM&rsquo;s residence.</p>
<p>According to leaders, another aspect where the BJP may find itself falling short of the AAP is in &ldquo;a face for Delhi&rdquo;. While the Capital retains faith in Modi&rsquo;s leadership and his guarantees, as reflected in the BJP&rsquo;s clean sweep of Delhi again in the Lok Sabha polls last year, it has simultaneously reposed trust in Kejriwal for the state.</p>
<p>In failing to offer an alternative to Kejriwal, with Modi seeking votes in his own name from Delhi&rsquo;s voters, could the BJP have failed to bridge this gap?</p>
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In race to the finish against AAP in Delhi, a look back at BJP’s hits and misses