The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might face difficulties in winning the posts of mayor and deputy mayor in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, with the opposition parties claiming to unite this time.
The BJP, which had won the mayor post by one vote in the 2013 municipal elections, is struggling to win this time. The ruling party had lost the deputy mayor post by a whopping 20 votes last time.
Presently, the BJP has 42 councillors out of 97 house members. With five MLAs and MPs also having the right to vote, the strength goes up to 106, hence the party needs at least 53 votes to secure a majority.
Sources in the party said that the BJP is seeking support from the BSP and other independent councillors in a bid to enjoy majority in the House in the upcoming elections.
Notably, the BJP fears that the votes of the five AAP MLAs will further deteriorate their chances this election. The party also fears cross-voting by BSP. The BSP had supported BJP in mayoral polls in the past three years.
As the election is scheduled for April 24, candidates filed their nominations on Thursday. The BJP contains 46 votes in the House along with the support from four MPs of BJP. The party shall fall short of two votes to win the mayoral post even if five BSP votes are added to its tally. Interestingly in the 2014 mayoral polls, the BJP managed to win the election by just one vote.
Last year, BJP’s Khushi Ram was elected as the mayor of the South Delhi Corporation over Congress candidate Dharmveer Singh by one vote. However, Congress councillor Praveen Rana won the election for deputy mayor by defeating BSP’s Bir Singh, who was supported by the BJP. The BJP had offered the deputy mayor’s post to the BSP in return of support from the five BSP councillors.
The strength of the House was reduced to 97 after seven SDMC councillors were elected to the Delhi Assembly after the polls in 2013 and 2014. Two BJP councillors - Rajesh Gehlot and Anil Sharma - had resigned from the corporation after the 2013 Assembly polls. Five independent councillors won the 2014 polls while representing the AAP.
The BJP, which had won the mayor post by one vote in the 2013 municipal elections, is struggling to win this time. The ruling party had lost the deputy mayor post by a whopping 20 votes last time.
Presently, the BJP has 42 councillors out of 97 house members. With five MLAs and MPs also having the right to vote, the strength goes up to 106, hence the party needs at least 53 votes to secure a majority.
Sources in the party said that the BJP is seeking support from the BSP and other independent councillors in a bid to enjoy majority in the House in the upcoming elections.
Notably, the BJP fears that the votes of the five AAP MLAs will further deteriorate their chances this election. The party also fears cross-voting by BSP. The BSP had supported BJP in mayoral polls in the past three years.
As the election is scheduled for April 24, candidates filed their nominations on Thursday. The BJP contains 46 votes in the House along with the support from four MPs of BJP. The party shall fall short of two votes to win the mayoral post even if five BSP votes are added to its tally. Interestingly in the 2014 mayoral polls, the BJP managed to win the election by just one vote.
Last year, BJP’s Khushi Ram was elected as the mayor of the South Delhi Corporation over Congress candidate Dharmveer Singh by one vote. However, Congress councillor Praveen Rana won the election for deputy mayor by defeating BSP’s Bir Singh, who was supported by the BJP. The BJP had offered the deputy mayor’s post to the BSP in return of support from the five BSP councillors.
The strength of the House was reduced to 97 after seven SDMC councillors were elected to the Delhi Assembly after the polls in 2013 and 2014. Two BJP councillors - Rajesh Gehlot and Anil Sharma - had resigned from the corporation after the 2013 Assembly polls. Five independent councillors won the 2014 polls while representing the AAP.