Short in south, BJP banks on Independents

Despite its average performance in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP said it will manage to come to power with the help of independent candidates. Atul Mathur reports.

Despite its average performance in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP said it will manage to come to power with the help of independent candidates.

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BJP leaders said even if smaller parties refused to join hands with them, the party will easily manage to rule the corporation with help from independents. With just 30 seats, the Congress is not in a position to stake claim even if all smaller parties join hands with it, a rather far-fetched possibility.

“Ten independents have agreed to join our party. A formal announcement in this regard will be made on Wednesday afternoon,” a senior BJP leader said. While the BJP cruised home comfortably in North Delhi and East Delhi Corporations, it fell nine seats short of a simple majority in south Delhi. It won 44 seats in the 104-member house. Congress won 30 and smaller parties and independents won the remaining 40 seats.

“South Delhi is one corporation where a large number of dissidents had contested against the official candidates and some of them even managed to win. Those candidates have agreed to come back to the party. Some other independent candidates have also shown interest in joining us,” said a senior BJP leader.

Apart from rebel candidates who contested as independent, smaller parties such as Nationalist congress Party, Indian National Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party too performed well this time and managed to win important seats.