Congress routed in MCD elections

Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Tuesday clean sweeped the three Municipal Corporation elections in Delhi for the second time in a row, though Jan Singh did won it for three consecutive terms in year 67, 69 and 71.

The gamble played by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to trifurcate the corporation and reserve 50 percent seats for women did not bore any fruit to the Congress.

Despite resentment in BJP ranks over ticket distribution, the party won North and East corporations and emerged as the single largest party in South Corporation.

In South Corporation, Congress came third after BJP and others. Though, before elections, it was being said that ticket distribution in Congress was very smooth and Members of Parliament and MLAs were given free hand to field candidates of their choice but price rise and corruption issues were high on the minds of Delhi voters.

Senior member and spokesperson of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Party Jitender Kochar, whose wife Nutan Kochar lost elections, blamed Sheila Dikshit for the debacle.

“Corruption was not an issue. We lost elections because the decision to trifurcate MCD went against us and the inflated power and water bills cost the party dearly,” he said.

On the other hand, BJP leaders said it is the stamp on their performance in MCD. The surprising element for Congress was loss in East Delhi from where the party has two ministers and son of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is member parliament.

Leader of the opposition in MCD and senior Congress leader Jai Kishan Sharma lost to Kishan Pehlwan. Former mayor Kanwar Sain of BJP lost election also lost the election. Shobha Gupta,wife of Delhi BJP Chief, has won. While, former Deputy Mayor of Congress Razia Sultana lost to an independent Asma Rehman. Chairman MCD Standing Committee Yogesh Chandolia also won the election.

The BJP has claimed that the poll results are vindication of its policies in running MCD. Congress leaders are accepting in private that inflation had played a major role in these elections. A local Congress worker of East Delhi said, “One can understand from the fact that Muslims, who in no situation votes for BJP, voted for some BJP candidates.”

BJP candidate from Maujpur Municipal ward Sanjay Jain got more than 1100 Muslim votes in these elections which is a surprising and this reflects that how much people were angry against Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders have started targeting Sheila Dikshit for the defeat. Party leaders started raising their voices against Sheila's decision to trifurcate MCD just before the elections, while, Sheila loyalists are vehemently defending her decision.

Alka Lamba of Congress said, “There can be many reasons but trifurcation can never be the reason for this loss.”

A Congress leader on the condition of anonymity said, “She (Sheila) should take the moral responsibility for this defeat because she led the Congress from the front in these MCD elections and took decision to trifurcate MCD and reserve 50 percent seats for women.”