Buoyed by a sizeable representation in the newly-constituted unit of the Delhi BJP, the sitting BJP councillors are eyeing for a bigger share in ticket allotment for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
A host of BJP councillors in three municipal corporations are contending for party tickets after they were denied opportunity in 2013 Assembly polls and the General Elections this year. Citing their performance in the municipal corporations during the last seven years as the sole basis, the councillors are seeking preference over the sitting MlAs in several constituencies. The BJP has been leading the local bodies in the capital since 2007.
The office-bearers include Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chairman of the Standing Committee, and Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee are in line to fight the Assembly polls. What fortifies their claims is the fact that top four positions in the Delhi BJP are occupied by the councillors.
Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay, who is a municipal councillor from Malviya Nagar ward, has inducted nearly a dozen councillors into his team of office bearers. While two of his close aides Ashish Sood and Rekha Gupta — both councillors — have been appointed general secretaries, another councillor and former Mayor Rajni Abbi has been made the party vice-president. These posts are considered significant in the party structure as these leaders are expected to undertake major organisational tasks over the next few months that are crucial for the party from electoral viewpoint.
Sources said there are over a dozen sitting councillors in the three civic bodies who are considered strong contenders for the Assembly tickets. Satish Upadhyay himself is likely to contest the elections from Malviya Nagar or Mehrauli Assembly segment. Though a first timer to Assembly polls, Upadhyay might secure a ticket for himself from Malviya Nagar from where the BJP had fielded Arti Mehra in December 2013 elections. Similarly, senior councillors Subhash Arya, Yogender Chandolia, Rekha Gupta, Ashish Sood, Sarita Chaudhary are also eyeing Assembly tickets.
These leaders were denied tickets in the previous election. Sources also said Arya is seeking ticket from Rajouri Garden; Rekha Gupta might pitch for Shalimar Bagh seat. North Delhi Mayor Yogender Chandolia will be contending for the reserved Karol Bagh constituency. North Delhi Deputy Mayor Ravinder Gupta is keen on contesting from Sadar Bazar seat while deputy chairman of Standing Committee in SDMC, Pankaj Singh is contending for Vikaspuri seat. Another BJP councillor Shyam Sharma is seeking ticket from Hari Nagar seat. Standing Committee Chairman in EDMC, BB Tyagi is eyeing the laxmi Nagar seat, sources said.
In 2013 polls, the BJP had fielded six sitting councillors of which three had won. The winning candidates were Mahendra Nagpal, Rajesh Gehlot and Anil Sharma from Wazirpur, Matiala and RK Puram constituencies, respectively. Three candidates Poornima Vidyarthi from Patel Nagar, Susheela Bagri from Sultanpur Majra and Azad Singh from Mundka had lost the elections. In 2008, the BJP, as a policy, had denied tickets to the councillors. BJP councillors said they would be primarily responsible for highlighting the achievements of the BJP rule in three MCDs. As senior BJP councillor Mohan Bhardwaj puts it, the Delhi Assembly elections will be contested between the municipal corporations and the Opposition. “Sitting councillors of the BJP will go public with their report cards,” said a senior BJP councillor.