New Delhi: Political parties have often resorted to shifting their MLAs to five-star hotels for fear of poaching ahead of assembly elections, but this strategy is being implemented for the first time in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh ahead of civic polls.
After suffering significant losses in the state last month, the BJP changed everything 34 councilors of Gwalior Municipal Corporation reached Delhi on Tuesday. Before the August 5 vote to elect the chairman of the municipal council.
After this, after losing the post of mayor 57 years In Gwalior – the bastion of Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar – the party is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that its president is elected to head the council of councillors.
The BJP does not want to lose its president post due to the election of Congress candidate Shobha Sikarwar as Gwalior mayor. Councilors will land in Gwalior on the day of polling.
In the recently concluded municipal elections, the BJP lost 7 out of 16 mayoral posts, while the Congress won 5 in its best performance since 1999. Despite its defeat, the BJP is still almost in majority. 80 percent of municipal corporations and councils in the state.
While the BJP officially denies that it has taken the move out of fear of a ‘split’ among its councillors, the party informally says there is no consensus on the candidate and due to differences between the camp of senior leaders. Because this decision was made.
“There are different camps, each pushing for its own candidate. Naturally, there is likely to be a split. Hence, it was felt that a meeting of all councilors should be held before voting and they should be asked to refrain from cross-voting or it would become embarrassing for the party,” a senior BJP leader told ThePrint. Told.
ThePrint contacted BJP district president Kamal Makhijani for the Gwalior region. “The councilors have been brought to Delhi as there is a meeting which precedes the meeting with senior leaders who are busy in Parliament session and hence, have not been able to come to Madhya Pradesh. Congress is busy spreading rumours, but our councilors are united and we will easily win this post.
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‘Councilors will go for a walk’
The councilors will stay at a resort in Haryana and will also visit nearby places. Makhijani said, “There will be a meeting with Jyotiraditya Scindia, Narendra Singh Tomar and other leaders before voting.
Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said that the councilors have gone to Delhi to meet senior leaders. “There is no political issue in this and the BJP is confident of having its own president in Gwalior.”
In 66 wards of Gwalior Municipal Corporation, 34 councilors of BJP, 25 from Congress, one from BSP and 6 are independent.
“The BJP fears that its councilors will not vote for its own candidate. It shows that he does not trust his own people. From Scindia to Tomar – all these leaders have their own people and hence there is no consensus on the candidate. We are confident that we will be able to win the election,” Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Ajay Yadav told ThePrint.
ThePrint previously reported How the party lost the post of mayor in Gwalior because of infighting and senior leaders chose their close allies. “During the mayor selection process, feedback was shared about those who lost. But the on-ground reaction was never taken seriously, and senior leaders chose their close allies and they were defeated,” said a party functionary.
Sources said the party is concerned about cross-voting from a section of councillors, who may not be happy with the party’s election for the post of president.
“There has been constant tussle among senior leaders as well and so many camps have come to the fore and they can influence the voting pattern,” the leader said.
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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