With an eye on the imminent assembly poll in the national capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government on Monday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to grant statehood for Delhi.

The State of Delhi Bill, 2003, presented by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, proposes full statehood to the National Capital Territory of Delhi through a new article, 371-J, in the Constitution.

371-J empowers Parliament to make laws for the whole or any part of the proposed state through entries 1 (public order) and 2 (police), 64, 65 and 66 of the State List.

The Constitutional Amendment (102nd) Bill, 2003 was also introduced on Monday. It provides for repealing Articles 239AA and 239AB, by which the Union Territory of Delhi was granted the status of National Capital Territory of Delhi in 1991, and its administrator named lieutenant governor.

The statehood bill confers special powers on the President of India to protect the interests of the scheduled tribes in keeping with the existing constitutional scheme.

It grants the President the power to direct the 'good governance and proper development' of the State of Delhi.

According to the bill's statement of objects and reasons, it was introduced to satisfy the 'aspirations of the people of Delhi'.

The BJP, which seeks to wrest power from the Congress in Delhi in the coming assembly poll, has been demanding statehood for the capital for several years.

The demand received support from the Delhi Congress, when its government resolved to press for the move on September 11, 2002.