Problem of plenty: Councillors make a beeline for BJP tickets

BJP workers and councillors maybe claiming to oust the Congress government in the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi, but have no confidence in their own party leadership for a genuine candidates’ list, which according to them is the only hurdle in BJP’s path to victory.

The councillors, who brought in the crows at Narendra Modi’s 29 September rally, are now keeping their fingers crossed to see their names in the list of candidates likely to be announced next week. 

‘Our city leaders have a habit of drifting away merely on the notions of anti-incumbency and undercurrent in BJP’s favour but the key to success in Delhi is the judicious selection of winnable candidates,’ said a three time BJP councillor, who is also seeking party nomination from an assembly segment.

‘If winnability is the only criterion and party successfully distances itself from lobbyists and their fake claims we will be able to win in Delhi without declaring the chief ministerial candidate,’ he added.

Majority of the councillors, holding crucial posts in the three corporations also approved the view and expressed ‘no confidence’ in their city 

leadership for selecting ‘winnable candidates’.

Some, however, openly said that the city leadership will not have any role in selecting the candidates and the entire exercise will be performed by the central parliamentary board of the party.

On the other hand, party leaders, who depend on councillors for political protests, rallies and favours from corporations, are finding it tough to adjust over one dozen sitting and ex-councillors who are pitching hard to get tickets.

These ex-councillors have indirectly held their seats in the corporations through women members of their families after 33 per cent reservation for women was enforced and are now lobbying hard for the next step in their political career.

The first in the list is Jat leader and present South DMC standing committee chairman Rajesh Gehlot who is seeking ticket from Matiala assembly segment. Gehlot is considered to be the person behind securing a majority for the party in SDMC with the help of independents and is believed to have convinced over half a dozen independent councilors to join the party.

Subhash Arya, the senior-most councillor in the city, is also seeking party’s nomination from Rajouri Garden. He is the only councilor who is a member in manifesto committee of the party.

Present mayor of SDMC Sarita Chaudhary and former councilor Satbir Choudhary are competing for the ticket from Mehrauli. Former mayor of South DMC and three time councilor Savita Gupta wants to contest from Kalkaji, while party’s general secretary Shikha Rai is also eyeing this seat.

In North DMC, Mahindra Nagpal from Wazirpur, Yogender Chandolia from Karol Bagh, former mayor Meera Aggarwal from Tri Nagar, Rajni Abbi from Model Town, standing committee chairman Ram Kishan Singhal from Shalimar Garden are among the serious candidates.

In East DMC the ticket seeker include BB Tyagi from Laxmi Nagar, Sanjay Jain from Seelampur, former standing committee chairman Mahek Singh from Mustafabad and present chairman Sanjay Surjan from Rohtas Nagar.