New names push old off BJP list

Elections for the three municipalities,which the MCD will

be split into,are to be held on April 15.

Earlier,it was expected that the list will be announced on Sunday night. But it was postponed due to differences over seat sharing between Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP.

Akali Dal has only six seats this time,in comparison with the 13 seats they had previous elections. Prominent Akali leaders like Avtar Singh Hit,Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s wife Satvinder Sirsa and Jitendra Singh Shunty. Om Prakash Thapar,national vice-president of SAD was left out of the final list.

Nineteen of sitting councillors,meanwhile,got a seat for their wives or daughters-in-law under the women’s reservation.

Many senior leaders like Jagdish Mamgain,Harish Awasthi,Mahendra Narula,Ved Prakash Gupta and B P Mandal did not feature on the list.

“There are many candidates who have worked hard in their areas and are denied tickets. There are many who are not even residents of the wards and have been given tickets. The party has minimal chances of winning the polls on such seats,” a senior leader to Newsline.

Meanwhile,a few senior leaders refused the municipality ticket in light of the Assembly elections that are scheduled for next year.

Senior leaders like former mayors Arti Mehra and P R Sawhney,and Delhi BJP chief Vijendra Gupta hope to get an Assembly ticket,therefore,they turned down the offer for these polls,a party source said.

The party has introduced new faces like Dr Neelam from Hauz Rani and Ankita Saini from Huaz Khas. After the list was out,the party changed its Pandav Nagar candidate Kulwinder Kaur with sitting councillor Lata Gupta.