Rebel candidates can influence the vote bank of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections. From almost every third seat, a rebel BJP candidate is contesting in the corporation elections.
However, the BJP has mobilised some of its leaders and office bearers to persuade the rebels as a damage control. Most of the rebels allege that weak or outside candidates have been given tickets in their wards.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too is facing a similar situation with the rebels trying to spoil the game on more than half the seats.
Talking about South Delhi, Satendra Chaudhary, a former municipal councillor of the BJP from the Mehrauli area, has filed his nomination as a rebel. Along with him, apart from the former Corporation Councilor and two former Mandal Presidents from this area, many strong officers and workers of the Mandal and the district have joined the election. Satendra Chaudhary said that we have to win from our ward.
The ticket given by the party is a weak candidate and will be defeated, so we have to file nomination papers.
Vikas Tyagi has filed his nomination papers from ward number 103 Keshopur. He says there are many issues in the area, on which the former chairman of BJP has not done any work. The area’s people wanted BJP to field a good candidate from here, but the party has given a recommended candidate. The ticket was given to the husband of the former municipal councillor. More than a dozen RWAs and office bearers of most of the societies here have made me their candidate.
Srinivaspuri seat can also become a problem for the BJP. From here, the party has given a ticket to former councillor Rajpal. Due to this, there is huge resentment among BJP workers and office bearers. From here, Mahavir Singh has given a thumbs up as a rebel of the BJP.
The rebels have filed their pamphlets from two different wards of the Laxmi Nagar assembly constituency. These include the names of Renu Jain and Vikram Singh. Both of them were asking for tickets from their respective wards. Similarly, two people from two corporation wards of the Adarsh Nagar assembly constituency have filed their papers as rebels.
Narayana ward number 139 is very much in discussion regarding the municipal elections. From here BJP has given ticket to Umang Bajaj. Umang has recently joined BJP. Earlier, there was a discussion about giving tickets to Umang’s mother in the assembly elections. Party leaders had also interviewed him. Panchayat has been held in Narayana village regarding BJP giving ticket to Umang Bajaj.
It was decided in this meeting that the people of the village would support Congress candidate Ram Kumar Tanwar. Prior to this, there was a preparation to contest the election as an independent from the former corporation councillor Pramod Tanwar. Prominent people of the village alleged that there has been a rough transaction in giving tickets to Umang Bajaj.