Delhi Power Minister Atishi on Wednesday said that Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena was stalling the Aam Aadmi Party government’s solar policy, to ensure that it is not notified before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported.

The Lieutenant Governor has suspended the Delhi government’s solar policy, ANI reported.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the Delhi government’s Solar Policy 2024 last month, promising that domestic consumers would get zero electricity bills. The Aam Aadmi Party leader also said that the tariff for both commercial and industrial consumers would be halved if citizens opt to install rooftop solar panels.

The policy proposed incentives on the basis of power generation if a residential consumer installed solar panels under the policy.

Atishi, addressing the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, said that the Lieutenant Governor had “sat on the file” and she had to ask his office about it. “When the file came back with several objections, it went from one officer to another,” she said.

“There is only one objective and that is to stop the policy from getting notified before the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls kicks in,” she added.

The minister said that the Governor was “batting” for the Bharatiya Janata Party despite his constitutional post.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sandeep Pathak also said that the BJP was directing their anger at both Kejriwal and at the residents of Delhi. He said that the policy was “highly progressive” and “advanced”, adding that it should be considered nationwide.

“They [BJP] cannot stand to see any success or happiness for the people of Delhi,” Pathak said. “They want to stop all work and their goal is not to progress the country. They are just involved in dirty politics.”