BJP goes all out to win civic panel seats

Party will train, have practice session for councillors.

Struggling to muster the required number to claim majority in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation house, the BJP is pulling out all stops to get its councillors elected to the Standing Committee of the corporation.

The committee — bestowed with important powers of passing proposals and introducing fresh ones — should have six elected members whereas ten candidates from various political parties had filed their nominations.

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On Friday, Krishan Sehrawat and Poonam Bhardwaj from INLD withdrew their nomination, leaving eight candidates in the fray for the coveted posts. According to BJP sources, the two leaders withdrew nominations due to an 'understanding' with the BJP — which is desperate to win the elections.

Now, four BJP candidates will now have to contest Sudesh Wati from BSP and three Congress councillors — Farhad Suri, Nutan Kochar and Tilotma Chaudhary.

The elections for the Standing Committee are scheduled for May 2. The anxiousness in the BJP camp is apparent from the fact that it will host a 'coaching class' for its councillors to teach them how to exercise their ballot. "In the elections, councillors will have to vote their preference of the candidates. To make sure there are no mistakes, a day will be earmarked for a practice session," said a senior BJP leader.

The BJP had won a comfortable majority in the two other municipalities — North and East — in the April 15 civic polls, the first after the MCD was trifurcated.