Councillors roam around BJP office for party tickets

With the decks cleared for the Assembly elections in Delhi, politicking has begun for tickets and the BJP councillors have started making rounds of the party office every now and then.

Municipal corporations sources said that some councillors are trying to lobby to get tickets to contest the Delhi Assembly polls. “A few of them are even going to Pandit Pant Marg in the Delhi BJP Pradesh office on a regular basis,” added the source.

“Since the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Satish Upadhyay is a councillor, these legislators have easy access to him,” the source said.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Yogender Chandolia is among the front-runners. Asked if he will contest polls, Chandolia said, “Yes I will contest elections if the party high command decides to give me the ticket.”

“I may get a ticket from Karol Bagh,” north Delhi Mayor told Deccan Herald.
Rekha Gupta, a councillor from Rohini Zone under North Corporation, is also a potential candidate for Delhi Assembly polls on the BJP ticket. “If given an opportunity I would want to contest polls from Shalimar Bagh,” said Gupta.

She, however, said that councillors are not visiting Delhi BJP unit for tickets. “We have been given responsibilities by the Bharatiya Janata Party. So we go to the BJP office,” Gupta said.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Khushi Ram Chunar is likely to get a ticket from Ambedkar Nagar and the chairman of the Education Committee of south civic agency Ashish Sood may get a ticket from Janakpuri, said source.

Some councillors are disheartened because they have not been considered as a potential party candidate for Delhi elections.

“I have been raising the issue in the Standing Committee and House meetings of the corporation but I have got no indication from the party high command about contesting Delhi polls,” said a councillor.