NCP to fight for mayor post in south Delhi

A day after the Congress decided against contesting for the post of mayor in south Delhi, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the coveted post in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

A day after the Congress decided against contesting for the post of mayor in south Delhi, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the coveted post in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

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NCP’s Delhi president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said his party had the support of the Congress, the BSP, other smaller parties and the Independent candidates who have been elected from south Delhi.

“We did not want the seat of mayor to go to the BJP. The Congress and all other parties have agreed to support our candidate. We have 60 members in the house now, while the BJP has just 44,” Bidhuri said.

The NCP has won six seats in the Delhi municipal polls this year, and five of them are from south Delhi. The Congress, on the other hand, has 29 members while the BSP has five.

The Congress had earlier thought of contesting the mayor election, but later gave up arguing that the mandate was against them.

“We did not have numbers to make our own mayor. NCP is our ally party at the Centre and a secular force. When they came up with the idea to field their candidate we had no objection in supporting it,” said Jai Prakash Aggarwal, Delhi Congress president.

The NCP has nominated a councillor from Phulkali Narwal and one from Badarpur ward for the mayor’s post. “She is an educated woman and the principal of a school. With other parties supporting us, and the Congress MPs and MLAs on our side, we are sure of having our party’s mayor in south Delhi,” Bidhuri said.

The BJP has fielded its candidate for the post of mayor and is supporting the BSP candidate for deputy mayor’s post.