JOIN USBJP warns councillors against cross voting in mayor elections
With opposition party making all attempts to spin ‘surprises’ in South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s mayor election, state BJP president Vijay Goel took charge of election management on Monday.
Fearing cross-voting by party councillors in favour of Congress candidate in the election to be held on Tuesday, Goel held a meeting of party councillors at the civic centre to keep its flock together.
The BJP leader had also invited independent councillors, who had supported BJP in mayor election last year, to attend the meeting. However, several of them chose not to attend.
Sources in the ruling party said Goel ‘threatened’ the councillors not to go against the party line.
“A veiled threat was offered to councillors stating that ultimately the party will come to know about the defectors. Action will be taken against such members. In a message that was meant for councillors who might switch loyalties, the councillors were assured that their interests will be duly taken care of,” said a BJP councillor.
BJP has 44 members in South Corporation, while the magic number is 53 in the House of 104. Opposition Congress has 29 members. Five members of Parliament and five members of Delhi Legislative Assembly from the area are also eligible to vote, taking the total vote to 114. If all the MP and MLAs exercise their franchise, the ruling party will have to garner 58 votes.
Last year, outgoing mayor Savita Gupta got 64 votes.
While the BJP has fielded Sarita Chaudhary, first time Councillor Abhishek Dutt is the Congress candidate for the post.
Senior leaders of both the BJP and Congress were busy holding hectic parley with the councillors. With anti-defection law not effective in the local bodies and the members voting through secret ballot, both the parties are on their toes.
Sources in the party said councillors are unhappy with the decision to field a Jat leader for both mayor and standing committee chairman. Moreover, the party also nominated Azad Singh as the mayor in North Corporation.
BJP leaders, however, sounded confident about victory of their candidate.
“We have the numbers. Five members of BSP and six members would vote for us,” said leader of House, Subhash Arya.
BJP has offered chairmanship of central zone to NCP to get their support, while it is supporting the BSP candidate for the post of deputy mayor.
Leader of opposition Farhad Suri said they are in touch with the independents as well as NCP councillors. “We would get more votes than what we got last year,” said Suri.