After winning north and east Delhi, the BJP is set to grab the South Delhi Corporation too with nine councillors - six of its rebels and one each of NCP, INLD and RLD - offering their support on Thursday.
The BJP has won 44 seats in the South Delhi Corporation and needs exactly nine more to form a majority.
The BJP rebels who have extended their support are Naresh Balyan, Mahender Yadav, Poonam Bhardwaj, Krishan Sehrawat, Praveen Rajput and Kalpana Jha.
Pushpa Singh from NCP and Anita Tyagi from RLD are the other two councillors who have offered it support. Seema Pandit from INLD is the wife of former BJP councillor
Vijay Pandit, who rebelled against the party and fielded his wife as his ward had been reserved for women.
BJP's Delhi president Vijender Gupta said many other independent councillors have also offered their support and there is a possibility some of them may even join the BJP.
The INLD, which has won three seats in south Delhi, has also offered support to the BJP, making the party's win certain in the corporation.
According to party sources, six rebels have already agreed to come back to the party's fold but the BJP has not announced this news yet. The reason: Only two weeks ago, its leaders had publicly criticised them for 'indiscipline'.
{{/usCountry}}According to party sources, six rebels have already agreed to come back to the party's fold but the BJP has not announced this news yet. The reason: Only two weeks ago, its leaders had publicly criticised them for 'indiscipline'.
{{/usCountry}}"A sudden change in the party's stand looked unseemly. So the leaders decided to wait for a day or two before making the final announcements," said a party worker.
From Wednesday, senior leaders such as Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Subhash Arya had been trying to woo the rebel councillors.
"Calls and promises were made to bring back the rebels who were miffed with the party for denying them tickets in the municipal elections," said a party leader.