Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay is likely to give up the post of standing committee chairman in the South Corporation by next week, in keeping with the principle of one-man-one-post, sources said.
Upadhyay, however, denied any such possibility. “It is a rumour,” he told Deccan Herald.
Sources, however, said there was a high possibility of the August 19 meeting of the standing committee at the Civic Centre could be Upadhyay’s last day in the municipal corporation.
The buzz about Upadhyay’s exit from the highest decision-making body of the South Corporation has also sparked hectic lobbying among BJP councillors eyeing the key post.
Names of BJP Leader of the House Subhash Arya and education committee chairman Ashish Sood were doing the rounds among those who could replace Upadhyay as the standing committee chairman.
“Finally, we will get a chance to move up in the civic agency’s hierarchy,” said a BJP councillor, adding that Upadhyay should have stepped down earlier.
“Upadhyay should have quit from the post on his own to focus on the party’s preparation for the Assembly elections,” said another leader.
“It is not possible to do justice to three responsibilities – as a state unit chief, as standing committee chairman and as a councillor,” he said.
Source said several leaders, including chairpersons of the civic agency’s several committees, have been in touch with BJP national leaders to create an opening for themselves in the standing committee.
A BJP leader said Upadhyay may have his say in appointing his successor to the post of the standing committee chairman as he is the party’s Delhi unit chief.
He was made the chief almost a month ago.
“The Delhi BJP unit chief has proved himself as a worthy leader in the city after the grand organisation of the party’s national council meeting last week,” said a leader.
Upadhyay’s stint as the standing committee chairman began in January this year.
Sources said he was given the key civic post as an attempt to pacify him after he was denied a ticket to contest the December 2013 Assembly elections from Malviya Nagar seat.
