To avoid controversy, BJP goes for fresh faces in polls

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to field new faces in the three municipal corporations for the mayoral elections. Sources said the decision was taken following senior BJP leadership’s move to give the party a facelift before the municipal elections due in early 2017.

“The party has gone with candidates who have not held any key posts like mayor, standing committee chairman and the leader of house previously,” said a senior BJP leader.

Sources said the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by central BJP leaders.

The BJP has been in power in the civic bodies since 2007. The party returned to power in all the three corporations after trifurcation in 2012. The party has chosen Shyam Sharma as its candidate for the mayoral elections in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), while Sanjeev Nayyar and Satya Sharma will contest from North and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

Senior party leaders said while Subhash Arya might still continue to hold a key post in the SDMC, the infighting among its senior leaders in North Delhi civic body forced the party to go with fresh faces.

Outgoing mayor Ravindra Gupta, leader of house Yogendra Chandolia and standing committee chairman Mohan Bhardwaj had previously got into a war of words in the North MCD House in March over a garbage management tender.

Interestingly, all key posts in the North MCD have been allotted to councillors from Rohini zone.

“We can’t afford to have controversies during election year and while the key posts were held by senior and talented leaders, the party leadership has decided to go with non-controversial leaders. The decision is also aimed at beating anti-incumbency to whatever extent possible,” said a senior party leader.

The Delhi BJP leaders, however, said the reshuffle and the induction of new faces was to bring new blood into the system. “The party has potential leadership. Also we have Subash Arya, among other senior leaders, to lead from the front in the municipal corporation,” said Satish Upadhyay, Delhi BJP president.