BJP ticket aspirants’ posters up despite no clarity on Gurgaon civic poll date

While the high court is yet to take a final call on Gurgaon municipal polls, BJP ticket hopefuls have already put up posters

While the Punjab and Haryana high court is likely to take a final call on the date for the Gurgaon municipal polls next week, the BJP’s ticket hopefuls have already got their posters up across the city.

While the party is still undecided on the names, many prospective candidates have started canvassing in their respective wards in the hope of garnering public support for tickets. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The BJP is yet to put out its list of candidates for the upcoming MCG (Municipal Corporation of Gurugram) elections. Sources said the party leadership is yet to take a call on whether to hand to fresh tickets to the sitting
councillors or field new faces who have risen from the party’s cadre.

“Our party leadership hasn’t yet finalised any candidate for the MCG elections. It is a time-consuming process and all candidates will be named after all leaders reach a consensus,” Bhupender Chauhan, BJP president, Gurgaon district, said.

While the party is still undecided on the names, many prospective candidates have started canvassing in their respective wards in the hope of garnering public support for tickets. One of these aspirants is Anil Kumar Yadav, former sarpanch of Chakkarpur village and husband of Sunita Yadav, former councillor of ward 33.

He said he is focussing on ‘local issues’ — civic maintenance, electricity, water and roads — to drum up public support.

“Though this ward isn’t bereft of civic amenities, the services need to be upgraded. That’s what I will focus on if I am elected councillor,” Yadav said.

Asked if his wife will contest the polls, he said the party is awaiting a list of wards that are to be reserved for women candidates and will decide on the same thereafter.

Rshmi Khetrapal, another prospective BJP candidate from ward 32, will be a first-timer in electoral battles if named. Having spent six years in the fields of accounting and finance, Rshmi is confident that her work experience and social initiatives in her area will help her secure the party’s ticket.

“I have been constantly involved with the RWAs and taken many initiatives such as conducting public awareness programmes, get-togethers on health issues and imbibing lessons from the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. I have also assisted children from the economically weaker sections by providing scholarships, arranging books and uniforms for them. I have significant presence in the ward and am confident I’ll secure the party’s nomination,” Khetrapal said.

The Congress bagged most seats in the 2011 MCG polls, while the BJP won just 4.

However, a few years after the polls, local Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh switched to the BJP and twenty sitting councillors, including those holding the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, also moved camps.

The bulk defections dented the Congress to the extent that it is struggling to find suitable candidates for the upcoming polls.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) only has a one sitting councillor, Nisha Singh, from ward 30 and will be hoping to boost its tally this time. However, the party is still undecided to whether to contest all the seats.