NEW DELHI: As the final nomination date for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor approaches, both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the opposition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party remain tight-lipped about declaring their candidates.
The deadline for filing nominations for both positions is April 18. While the BJP is yet to decide on nominating its candidates, the leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party is cautious of their councillors switching sides due to the emerging political scenarios in the city.
According to sources, Raaj Kumar Anand, the former AAP member and cabinet minister who recently resigned from the party and his post, alleging it of being “neck-deep in corruption,” is in touch with three councillors from his assembly constituency of Patel Nagar.
It is speculated that he may convince them to vote for the BJP’s mayoral candidates in the upcoming elections scheduled for April 26.
AAP had swept the Patel Nagar constituency, securing victory in all four municipal wards, East Patel Nagar, West Patel Nagar, Ranjit Nagar, and Baljeet Nagar.
Meanwhile, the BJP has maintained radio silence on the mayoral elections. Sources said that the party is avoiding ‘breaking away’ the AAP councillors in full public view before the Lok Sabha elections, as it would validate AAP’s allegation of “Operation Lotus”, a term used by the opposition leaders against the BJP in regard to the ‘poaching’ of elected candidates.
While BJP leaders have confirmed that the finalisation of names of probable candidates is underway, they did not confirm whether the party would finally go through to contest the elections. Last year, AAP’s candidates won the mayoral polls unopposed after the BJP pulled out of the contest minutes before the voting.
A similar situation may arise this year as well, as the ruling AAP dispensation now has the support of nine councillors from the Congress who abstained from voting in previous polls. However, the political scenario has changed after the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, exposing the party’s cadre to vulnerability.
The third Mayor of the unified MCD will be from the Scheduled Caste (SC). Over the five-year term of MCD, the office of the mayor is reserved in favor of a woman candidate in the first year and for a member belonging to a SC in the third year, as per the Delhi Municipal Council (DMC) Act.
BJP maintains silence
The BJP has maintained silence over the mayoral elections. While BJP leaders have confirmed that the finalisation of names of probable candidates is underway, they did not confirm whether the party would finally go through to contest the elections. Last year, AAP’s candidates won the mayoral polls unopposed after the BJP pulled out of the contest minutes before the voting. A similar situation may arise this year as well, as the ruling AAP dispensation now has the support of nine councillors from the Congress who abstained from voting in previous polls.