Sawhney set to be new Delhi mayor

Municipal councillor and former schoolteacher Prithvi Raj Sawhney is all set to be elected as the next Mayor of Delhi.

Municipal councillor and former schoolteacher Prithvi Raj Sawhney is all set to be elected as the next Mayor of Delhi.

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He filed his nomination for the post on Monday for the ruling BJP in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Tulsi Ram Sablania of Congress and Hari Chand Kardam of BSP also filed their nominations for the post.

Elections to the post will held on April 30.

Sawhney, chairman of the MCD’s education committee, is all set to be elected as Mayor as the BJP has an overwhelming majority in the 272-member MCD House.

The strength of BJP is 172, followed by Congress (73), BSP (16) and Independents (10).

Rajesh Gehlot of the BJP, Saranjit Sharma of the Congress and Sanjay Gupta of the BSP filed their nomination papers for the post of deputy mayor, election to which will also be held on the same day.

Monday was the last day of filing of papers.

Yogendra Chandolia and Sarita Choudhary of BJP and Jai Kishan Sharma of Congress also submitted their papers for the three vacant posts of members of the Standing Committee to be nominated by the MCD.

Sawhney, who represents Janakpuri (South) ward, was councillor from 1997-2000 and held various important posts including that of chairman of MCD standing committee.

He taught in Jammu College and in different schools of directorate of education for 30 years and has been the president of Delhi Adhyapak Parishad. S ome councillors are not happy with the decision to nominate Sawhney. "The will of the majority of councilors has not been followed. Most councillors are unhappy. As chairman of the education committee, his performance has not been up to the mark. MCD schools are in a shambles, I wonder how he will perform as an Mayor," said a BJP councillor.