Second term for BJP-ruled civic body mayors unlikely

New Delhi: With the tenure of mayors of three municipal corporations coming to an end, Delhi BJP is likely to go in for a leadership change in the party that ruled municipal corporations, North, South and East. 

A top party source said that after the mayors and deputy mayors, others top civic functionaries will also replaced. 

The tenure of mayors — Preety Agarwal, Kamaljeet Sherawat and Neema Bhagat of North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations — will come to an end on March 31. 

According to the Delhi Municipal Act, a new mayor will be elected in the first house meeting of the three civic bodies. After election, the newly elected mayors will conduct elections for the post of deputy mayors and members of the standing committees. 

A well-placed source in the Delhi BJP told this newspaper that “Criteria to become a mayor is simple — no second term,” he said.

Though a section in the party pressed for performance audit of the mayors to decide another term for them in office, but the state leadership has come up with ‘no second term rule for the mayor. Earlier this year, mayor North Delhi, Ms Agarwal landed in a controversy after facing allegations of interference in the tender process and lieutenant-governor (L-G) of Delhi Anil Baijal directing chief vigilance officer to examine the matter. 

All the while Ms Agarwal vehemently denied the charges. Main opposition  party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded resignation of Ms Agarwal. 

Then the Delhi BJP leadership stood firmly in defense of Ms Agarwal. However, the leadership felt that all is not well in functioning of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). 

A senior party leader said that had Ms Agarwal been removed then, the party may have had accepted her resignation and the AAP’s allegations.  

But with the AAP’s allegations proved untrue, “the party has decided not to extend the tenures of Ms Agarwal, Ms Bhagat and Ms Sehrawat, but replace them with new faces.” he said. 

Sources also claimed that along with the mayors, the party will also replace the standing committee chairperson and the leaders of house of the three civic bodies. 

At present, Jainendra Dabas, Santosh Pal and Sikha Rai are serving as leaders of house in North, East and South civic bodies. 

Bhupendra Gupta, Tilakraj Kataria and Parvesh Sharma are chairpersons of the Standing Committees of their respective municipal corporations.