With the municipal polls in Haryana seen as a popularity test for the Manohar Lal Khattar Government, the ruling BJP has geared up for the key election in December, just few months ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The saffron party has convened a meeting of its election committee on Saturday in New Delhi to chalk out a strategy for polls to five municipal corporations and two municipal committees in Haryana on December 16.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana BJP incharge Anil Jain, Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, Union Ministers Birender Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, Captain Abhimanyu, Anil Vij, and OP Dhankar among others are scheduled attend the meeting.
The BJP, which is contesting on its party symbol, is likely to announce its candidates after the meeting on Saturday.
It would be for the first time that direct election to the post of mayor would be held in five civic bodies in the state.
The election is for the seats of mayor and members of all wards of five Municipal Corporations including Hisar, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Karnal and of two Municipal committees including Jakhal Mandi (Fatehabad) and Pundri (Kaithal). The result will be announced on December 19.
“Discussions will be held on names shortlisted by the BJP for the post of mayor and members in MCs. The names are likely to be finalized at the meeting and the list of candidates will be released accordingly,” said a senior party leader.
The party leader said that the BJP would also chalk out its election strategy during the meeting. The issues which would be raised during the campaigning would also be discussed, he added.
The Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues and party MLAs will be aggressively campaigning during the next fortnight for the MC polls.
The BJP election committee, in its previous meeting held on November 26 at Chandigarh had constituted a three-member committee each for five MCs to submit feedback for candidates in the election.
The party had also announced that a manifesto or a vision document will be released for the MC elections, to carry forward the development works of BJP led Central and Haryana Government.
The polls are seen as a popularity test for the ruling BJP, which has completed its four years tenure in Haryana recently while it would be a golden opportunity for the main opposition party–Indian National Lok Dal to prove itself ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls scheduled next year.
The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have already announced not to contest on party symbol in these polls.
The nominations for the corporations and committees going to polls will be filed from December 1 to 6, except December 2 when it is a holiday.
As many as 1401157 voters including 746126 males, 655021 females and 10 transgender would exercise their franchise in these elections.
The high-stake electoral battle will see BJP and INLD attempting to put up an impressive show in Jat belt of Rohtak, Panipat, Hisar and Chief Minister’s constituency Karnal.
Issue of contesting MC polls on party symbol is under discussion, claims Tanwar.
A day after the AICC general secretary incharge for Delhi, PC Chacko announced that the Congress will not contest the civic body polls on its symbol in Haryana, the state party chief Ashok Tanwar on Friday claimed that the matter is still under consideration.
Tanwar also announced to approach Congress President Rahul Gandhi or party leader PC Chacko again on the issue.
After holding a meeting with senior leaders of Haryana Congress in New Delhi on Thursday, PC Chacko had said that the Congress will not contest on its symbol in the polls. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja were present at the meeting.
The decision had come as a major blow to state Ashok Tanwar who wanted the party to contest on its symbol and had even initiated process to shortlist candidates for mayoral post from five MCs.
Tanwar while talking to the mediapersons in Sonipat on Friday said that the issue of contesting elections on party symbol has not been finalized and is under consideration of the party high command.
The Congress leader said that he will be meeting PC Chako again in this matter.
Tanwar said that the views of those people who had struggled at the ground level are being ascertained. These workers have expressed the view that these elections should be contested on the party symbol, so that BJP and its B team INLD are silenced, he added.
Tanwar’s detractor, former Chief Minister Bhupinder was of the opinion that the party should not contest on its symbol. Infact, all senior leaders present at Thursday’s meeting in New Delhi backed Hooda’s viewpoint.
“The Congress has had a tradition of not contesting the local body elections on its symbol. Also, with several candidates approaching for contesting these elections, this could lead to resentment among party workers over the issue of selection of candidates,” this was stated by the party leaders while stressing on not to contest on party symbol.