Hectic lobbying starts for mayor polls

Hectic lobbying has begun in all the three municipal corporations for mayoral elections scheduled in the last week of this month. Delhi BJP leadership, which is ruling the three civic bodies — North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation — has not declared whether its sitting mayors will get the second term or not.

In absence of any clarity from the party leadership on second term, aspirants have started lobbying for the posts.

On Monday, EDMC and NDMC announced the dates of mayoral polls — to be held on April 27 and April 28 respectively in both the corporations. A Delhi BJP insider said that a final decision has not been taken on the second term for the sitting mayors, as there are a lot of differences among the leadership on keeping North mayor Ravinder Gupta for a second term. “A section in state leadership feels that giving second term to Mr Gupta, after the whole controversy on award of contract for solid waste management to private firm in the NDMC area when municipal polls are due next year, will adversely affect the party’s prospects. A decision on giving a second term to Mr Gupta will taken soon,” he said.

Sensing an opportunity if Mr Gupta is denied a second term, names of several councillors started doing rounds for the North mayor’s post. Prominent names are senior councillor and party leader Tara Chand Bansal, standing committee chairman Mohan Bhardwaj, Leader of House Yogender Chandolia, former mayors Azad Singh, Meera Agarwal, Rajni Abbi, Delhi BJP general secretary Rekha Gupta, Rajesh Bhatia.

However, South mayor Subhash Arya is keen on a second term keeping in view his experience as he is senior most and most experienced councillor in the SDMC.

“When civic polls will be held in less than a year, party needs a experienced leader in the mayor’s post who can managed the civic affairs and implement populist work effectively through out the remaining period before model code of conduct is imposed. Mr Arya is experienced and a seasoned politician and he is capable of delivering populist work. There is also no match to Mr Arya’s experience, but decision on a second term will be taken by the state leadership,” a said a party leader.