‘Want Poorvanchali mayor in east Delhi’

As mayoral elections near, BJP is trying to balance out the caste and community sentiments of its workers. Its Poorvanchali workers on Tuesday stepped up pressure to get one of their own elected as the mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

As mayoral elections near, BJP is trying to balance out the caste and community sentiments of its workers. Its Poorvanchali workers on Tuesday stepped up pressure to get one of their own elected as the mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

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The party is likely to choose a trading community member and a Jat as mayors for South and North Delhi municipal corporations respectively. On Wednesday, Poorvanchali councillors met senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley to lobby for the prime position in East Delhi.

One of those leaders said that the BJP managed to win East Delhi, known to be a Congress bastion, mainly because of Poorvanchali voters. Of its eight Poorvanchali candidates here, seven won. “The BJP won in

the Congress bastions due to Poorvanchalis,” said a leader from the community.

“By electing a Poorvanchali as mayor, the BJP will also be doing the ground work for the assembly elections of 2013," said a BJP leader.

Of its four Poorvanchali women councillors in east Delhi, leaders have suggested the names of two-time winner Annapurna Misra and another Poorvanchali leader Asha Singh.

The last date of filing nominations for the post of the Mayor is April 26. BJP sources said as different communities have been pressing for their own Mayor, names of the final candidates will be declared only after Tuesday midnight to avoid a backlash.

On Tuesday, BJP state president Vijender Gupta had claimed that the party has managed a majority in South Delhi Municipal Corporation as well. “The mayor of all three bodies will be from the BJP,” he had said, reacting to news that the Congress might be able to stitch up an alliance in South Delhi.