Even as the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is upbeat about civic polls and eager to capture top positions at three municipal corporations —Dhanbad, Deoghar and Chas (newly formed)—arch rival Congress is yet to come out of the trauma of debacle in Assembly elections and put up a resistance to the saffron party’s efforts.
The BJP collected probable names of party supported mayoral candidates for the three municipal corporations and a candidate is likely to be decided by office bearers of the party in the meeting of the election campaign committee on Friday. Candidates’ names have been shortlisted by BJP Vice-president, Rakesh Prasad and State Headquarter in-charge, Gama Singh through wider consultations with party cadres of the three districts. Despite intense activity for the civic polls the party vowed to not allow display of its flags and banners during election campaign.
“Civic elections are not fought on party line yet we are free to express our support to a candidate. We will announce names of party backed candidates for the post of mayor and will allow party workers to take part in the election campaign. We are not allotting symbols or posters and banners to anyone,” said Singh. The BJP’s muscle flexing and attempt to put a party backed candidate at the three municipal corporation stands in contrast to the silence in the Congress’ camp. In the aftermath of the debacles in lok Sabha and Assmebly elections the oldest political party doesn’t have names to count on to resist BJP backed candidates in the civic polls. The party is relying on internal democracy to get a candidate on their own and not to parachute candidates from top. Sources, in the Congress however maintained that voices were raised for appointing observers to counter the BJP’s endeavour in the polls.
“We don’t want to overly politicise the civic polls. If anyone from our party or someone who agrees with the Congress’ ideology decides to contest elections we will definitely ask our workers to support them. But as of now, we are not going to extent of appointing an observer for the elections,” pointed out Congress Spokesperson, Rajesh Thakur.
Notably, nominations for the civic polls will take place between May 2 and May 8, scrutiny for which will be held on May 9. The last day for withdrawing names would be May 11 and symbols will be allotted on May 12. Counting will be held on May 29 and the process of election will be completed before May 30.
Besides the three municipal corporations, five municipal councils—Kodarma, Jhumri Tilaiya, Vishrampur, Manjhiaon, Chakradharpur-- besides Ranchi Municipal Corporation, Adityapur, Medininagar, Phusro and Mihijam are likely to go to polls in the last week of May. Voting will take place at 1377 polling stations in 229 municipal wards.