Running the House won’t be a cakewalk for BJP

However, this one year won’t be easy. Unlike the last term, where it was the BJP that passed agendas, even if the Congress walked out being in majority, this term would be different. There are 14 AAP councillors, 13 BJP councillors, 7 Congress councillors and one SAD councillor. BJP has 12 councillors.

“This term it would be difficult because even if BJP gets its own agenda of issues in the General House, it will have to face ire of both AAP and Congress. AAP will be having a slightly upper hand considering that they are in majority. Together the Opposition from AAP and Congress would be like 21 councillors over 12 councillors of the BJP,” said a senior political leader, requesting anonymity.

He added, “Moreover, now losing the Mayorship despite being in majority has also in a way troubled them. This will act as a trigger and thus this will also have an impact on agendas in coming months. We can easily see that there will be walk outs, protests and what not.”

Even as newly elected Mayor Sarabjit Kaur, who is a first timer said that she will take everyone along, both AAP and Congress don’t believe in the same. For Mayor, there may be discretion in getting agendas, that of the other councillors as well.

Mayor Sarabjit Kaur got elected Saturday by a margin of one vote. That one vote, which was in favour of Aam Aadmi Party, was declared invalid as it had a tick mark on the other side of the ballot paper. Congress councillors despite being seven of them and the lone SAD councillor abstained from the voting process. Though it was thought that there would be a tie with 14 votes each, one vote of the AAP was declared invalid. Despite protests by the AAP councillors to hold recounting again, it wasn’t heard and BJP’s Sarabjit Kaur was made Mayor.

BJP will try to get more of its nominated councillors
To ensure that they have their foot down, BJP will take support of nominated councillors in the House. The party will ensure that most of the nominated councillors who come hold affiliation to their party so that it is easy to hold majority while running the House. BJP is mulling to bring in former Mayor and party chief Arun Sood, former councillor Devinder Singh Babla and others.

Aam Aadmi Party may resort to legal battle now
AAP said that it was working on whether to resort to legal battle or not. AAP leaders said that BJP intentionally had its own elected councillor as the presiding officer who is usually the senior most councillor like a nominated councillor. They also said that it was a well thought plan to declare their valid vote as invalid despite one of their own ballot papers being torn and declared valid.

However, it is still pondering over because there is one councillor in the party who cross-voted for the BJP who they have to identify. In the elections of Senior Deputy Mayor, BJP got 15 votes while AAP got 13 which meant that there was one person who didn’t want the AAP candidate to win.