Parivar first? Family members of several office-bearers get BJP tickets
PREACH, NOT PRACTICE The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised it would not sitting councillors or relatives of established leaders to contest. The party says it eventually went by the winnability of the candidates
making it clear that it would not give tickets to the sitting councillors or its office bearers and their family members and would prefer young, fresh faces for the April 23 municipal elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party did not follow its laid-out principles while choosing its candidates.
The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its second and final list of 110 candidates. The party had announced its candidates for 160 municipal wards on Sunday. Two seats have been given to ally, Shiromani Akali Dal. There are 272 municipal wards in Delhi.
An analysis of the BJP candidate list shows that the party has roped in several family members of the party leaders and workers in ticket distribution. The party has also failed to fulfill the promise to deny tickets to relatives of sitting councillors.
A party leader said three relatives of incumbent councillors have been given tickets.
Rubina, who has been nominated from Quresh Nagar ward, is the daughter of sitting councillor Hoor bano Ismail. Her son Imran Ismail had earlier represented the same ward.
Similarly, Kamlesh Devi, is the sister-in-law of Bir Singh, a councillor from Madanpur Khadar (West). After delimitation, this ward has been declared as reserved for a woman candidate so Devi has been given the party ticket in his place. Her husband Brahm Singh had earlier contested from the Okhla assembly seat.
From Wazirpur ward, sitting councillor Poonam Sharma’s relative Harish Sharma has been given the BJP ticket. Harish is the ‘mandal vice president’ of the area. Poonam’s father-in-law, Suresh Bhardwaj, was also a councillor from the same area.
The party has picked at least 24 candidates who are relatives of the office bearers of the state BJP or district level committees. The party, which has been saying that it will prefer new and young faces, have also chosen four candidates who are above 60 years of age.
Gurjeet Kaur, who is the wife of Kulwant Singh Baath, vicepresident of the Delhi BJP, has been given ticket from Bhajanpura ward in east Delhi. Aarti, wife of Gajendra Yadav, secre-
KULJEET SINGH CHAHAL, GENERAL SECRETARY, DELHI BJP, SAID THE MAIN CRITERIA WAS WINNABILITY AND
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PICKED ARE DILIGENT PARTY WORKERS
tary of the state unit of the party, has been nominated from Mehrauli.
Meenakshi Beniwal, wife of Revinder Beniwal (block president) is party’s contestant from Kohat Enclave while Bina Virmani is the candidate from Ramesh Nagar. Bina is the wife of Gulshan Virmani, who is the officer on special duty (OSD) to union minister Dr Harsh Vardhan).
Colonel BK Oberoi is party’s candidate from Rajouri Garden ward who is above 70 years. “Apart from him ,Tilak Raj Kataria (Shalimar Bagh-South), Jogi Ram Jain (Kamla Nagar) and Bina (Ramesh Nagar) are also above 60 years,” said a source.
In addition to this, at least 12 officer bearers in district level teams have been awarded by the party ticket.
The prominent names are Jai Prakash, state BJP vice president (Sadar Bazaar), Preeti Agrawal, state secretary, (Rohini F), Poonam Parasar Jha, president of Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha (Mubarakpur Dabas), Rajkumar Ballan, former district president, Mayur Vihar (Brahmpuri).
President of Delhi BJP Purvanchal cell Vipin Bihari has also managed to get ticket from Patparganj ward. Similarly, Vinay Rawat president from outer Delhi district is contesting from Peeragarhi.
Kuljeet Singh Chahal, general secretary, Delhi BJP, said the main criteria was winnability and those who have been picked are diligent party workers.
“We have never said that officer bearers or their relatives will not be considered for tickets. It is an effort to put up a successful show by bringing all workers on the same platform,” Chahal said.
“As per my knowledge, no ‘close relative’ of any sitting councillor has been allowed to contest on party’s symbol,” he said.