With an overwhelming majority of independent candidates having made the cut in the MCG elections, the position of mayor is likely to be secured by one of them.
Twenty-five independents emerged victorious in the battle for 35 seats.
Both Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which fielded candidates under their party symbols, fell flat on the face as both raked in only 10 seats — BJP scored four and INLD secured six.
Elections for the city mayor will take place later when the 35 municipal councillors, four MLAs and one MP will vote. A candidate will have to secure 21 votes out of a total of 40.
However, despite having decided not to support any candidate with its party symbol or party name, the Indian National Congress was quick to claim that the mayor is likely to be a Congress-endorsed candidate.
“We have secured around 25 seats and it’s very certain that the mayor would be a Congress-endorsed candidate,” said GL Sharma, district president, Congress party.
To hand pick the mayor, senior party leaders, including Rao Inderjit Singh (Member of Parliament) and Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, are expected to discuss the issue with other party functionaries within a day or two, sources said.
{{/usCountry}}To hand pick the mayor, senior party leaders, including Rao Inderjit Singh (Member of Parliament) and Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, are expected to discuss the issue with other party functionaries within a day or two, sources said.
{{/usCountry}}Gurgaon Citizen Council, which fielded seven candidates, has also staked claim for the seat after three candidates won the poll.
They have forwarded two names — Rama Rani Rathee and Mahesh Dayma.
Also, a frontrunner in the race for mayor is Subhash Singla, former chairman of Gurgaon Municipal Council that was quashed in 2005. MCG was formed in 2008.
On the other hand, INLD leader Gopi Chand Gehlot didn’t seem dejected when he said: “We have won half a dozen seats.”