With four newly elected BJP legislators quitting from the membership of municipal corporations, the North and South Delhi civic bodies are set to see a change in its leadership early next year.
A host of senior leaders have queued up for the posts of Standing Committee chairperson and the leader of House in both corporations after these posts were vacated following resignations of Rajesh Gehlot, Ramkishan Singhal and Mahendra Nagpal from the two civic bodies. The topmost priority is election of the new Standing Committee chairpersons as they would be finalising the budget for their respective corporations following which the budget will be presented before the House. Subsequently, the leader of the House will finalise the budget proposal for the next financial year. As per the rules, the budget has to be finalised by February 10.
In North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the race is on for both the posts — Standing Committee Chairman and the leader of House. While Ramkishan Singhal resigned from this post, Mahendra Nagpal vacated the post of the leader of House. Singhal and Nagpal were elected to the Delhi legislative Assembly from Adarsh Nagar and Wazirpur Assembly constituencies respectively.
Sources said leaders like Yogendra Chandolia, Mira Aggarwal and Rajni Abbi are frontrunners for the post of the leader of House in North Delhi Municipal Corporation. While Chandolia was a former chairman of the Standing Committee, Aggarwal and Abbi are the former Mayors. Similarly, the current deputy chairman of Standing Committee, Mohan Bhardwaj is eyeing the chairman’s post after the exit of Singhal.
On the other hand, senior BJP councillor Subhash Arya is likely to become the next Standing Committee chairman in South Delhi Municipal Corporation. The post is lying vacant after the current chairman Rajesh Gehlot gave up the membership
of the South Delhi Corporation. Gehlot has won the Assembly elections from Matiala Assembly segment. Sources said Arya might also retain his current office of the leader of House in the Corporation. A senior leader said the leader of House is a political post and the same would not be a hurdle in the way of Arya’s appointment as the Standing Committee chairman. Similarly, the name of Satish Upadhyay, BJP councillor from Malviya Nagar, for the post of the Standing Committee chairman.
However, Nagpal said there was no urgency involved in election of the Standing Committee chairman as the deputy chairman could also preside over the meetings and approve the budget. Citing precedence to it, he said former Deputy Mayor Mahesh Chandra Sharma had conducted the House meetings after the then Mayor Anita Arya was elected to the lok Sabha and the post was vacated. Similarly, Rajesh Gehlot said the BJP would decide on these posts at the appropriate time; the budget could also be finalised by the deputy chairman.