MCD elections: Congress releases second list for 127 municipal wards
The Congress released its second list of candidates for April 23 municipal elections in Delhi late on Sunday. The party released names for 127 wards of the 272 total wards. In its first list released on Saturday evening, the Congress had announced candidates for 140 seats.
The Congress released its second list of candidates for April 23 municipal elections in Delhi late on Sunday. The party released names for 127 wards of the 272 total wards. In its first list released on Saturday evening, the Congress had announced candidates for 140 seats.
In the first list, the party has accommodated 21 sitting councillors while 119 are new faces. In three corporations, the Congress has 85 councillors.
A party functionary said the names for the remaining 132 wards will be announced on Sunday.
“The first list includes names of eight incumbent corporators of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), seven of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, and six from East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC),” he said.
Over 60 leaders have managed to get tickets for their family members in the first list.
Given the significant number of minority votes in six wards, the Congress has fielded Muslims candidates from Chauhan Bangar, Nehru Nagar, Sri Ram Colony, Jama Masjid, Delhi Gate, Bazaar Sita Ram, and Zakir Nagar ward.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said the candidates have been chosen based on their chances of victory and feedback from party workers.
“Winability and opinion from grass-root level party workers has dominated the candidate selection process,” he said.
The Congress councillors, who have been given tickets this time again, are leader of opposition in EDMC Varyam Kaur (Kanti Nagar), Ajit Chaudhary (Dilshad Garden), Shoaib Danish (Zakir Nagar), Seema Tahira ( Bazaar Sita Ram), Narindra Kaur (Kalkaji), Abhishek Dutt (Andrews Ganj), Aley Mohammad (Delhi Gate), Guddi Devi (Malka Ganj), Tulsi Ram Sablania (east Patel Nagar), Virender Kasana (Chitranjan Park), Darshana Jatav (Siddharth Nagar), Dhanwati Chandela (Vishnu Garden), and Jayshree Panwar (Greater Kailash).
Jai Kishan Sharma, who was the leader of opposition for five years in a row (2007-12) in the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been fielded from Roshanpura. He did not contest the 2012 elections because the ward was reserved for women candidate.
The party has also nominated Chander Prakash from Govindpuri ward, who recently joined Congress after leaving BJP.
Chandela is wife of Congress leader and former MLA Dayanand Chandela. Their name is recorded in Guinness Book as the only married couple to have contested and won from two different wards in the same municipal elections in 1997. Their daughter-in-law Meenakshi Chandela and son Meghraj Chandela are also councillors from Khyala and Vishnu Garden ward respectively in SDMC. Meenakshi is contesting bypolls from Rajouri Garden assembly seat on Congress ticket.
Aley Mohammad is son of former Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal.
The candidates will be able file their nomination only on April 3, which is the last date of submission of papers. The polling will take place on April 23.
The party has received more than 12,000 applications for the 272 seats. To pick winnable contestants, the party had appointed observers (party leaders from outside Delhi) for all 14 districts. Before finalising names, they held consultations at district-level with party workers and leaders.
