SDMC elections: AAP keeps strategy under wraps

BJP is the largest party with 50 councillors but the Opposition claims that the recent failure in Delhi Assembly elections will jolt the confidence of councillors in the local leadership.

“The councillors of all the political parties cutting across the party line are supporting me. Several councillors of BJP are disgruntled with the non-performing leadership so want to favour Congress,” said Farhad Suri, Congress candidate for the mayoral post. 

Congress has 29 councillors in the 97-member House. “We have support of 37 members for sure,” said Suri. The election of deputy mayor is also scheduled to take place alongside. Presently, there are 97 councillors in SDMC, out of which BJP has 50 members, Congress 29, INLD has two and SP has only one member. BSP and NCP both have three members each. Besides, there are 12 independent councillors. “In the recent election for the member in the board of Delhi Development Authority, BJP’s Satish Upadhayay managed his seat by just one vote. We are better prepared this time and will win both the seats of mayor and deputy mayor,” added Suri. 

The Congress also has two Rajya Sabha MPs voting in the election for mayor. Suri had also written letters to Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung demanding him to ensure privacy of ‘secret ballot’. In response, Jung directed the SDMC commissioner, Puneet Goel to make proper arrangements for maintaining authenticity of the ‘secret ballot’.

“Congress always claims to win the coveted post of mayor but results have always shown otherwise for last three years. We will win both the posts of mayor and deputy mayor on Friday,” said Subhash Arya, chairman of Standing Committee of SDMC. Arya is BJP candidate for the post of mayor in this election. He also enjoys the status of senior-most councillor. Apart from the 50 councillors, BJP has four MPs to vote in the election — MPs from South Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi and West Delhi. The most uncertain are those of the five MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party, who may play a decisive role in the election. But AAP has not disclosed its strategy so far.

According to sources, AAP may abstain from voting as they wish to maintain equal distance from the BJP as well as Congress.