Uncertainty over MCD polls leaves ticket aspirants in a fix

Several aspirants from the AAP, BJP and Congress said that they were in a fix on whether they should spend more on campaigning or wait and watch. Said a senior BJP leader seeking a ticket, “Several aspirants have already spent large sums of money on pasting campaign posters in their localities, hoping to impress both the leaders as well as people.”

The State Election Commission (SEC) had postponed the announcement of dates for the MCD polls, following a communication from the Centre regarding unification of the civic bodies. The Centre is likely to take up unification in the ongoing budget session of Parliament, a senior BJP leader had said earlier. The Centre will have to make an amendment to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act to unify the South, North and East MCDs.

The commission, which has time to conduct the elections before the term of the House of the local bodies ends on May 18, said it was seeking legal opinion.

Another BJP leader said party cadres are unsure of the validity of rotation of seats. “This has led to councillor aspirants not being sure if the seat will be general or reserved,” he said.

The SEC in January had revised the list of reserved seats, with most general category seats now reserved for Scheduled Castes or women.

An AAP councillor said he had started promoting his spouse after his seat was reserved for women, but now he was left confused on what to do. “The confusion should be cleared as it is affecting the development of the constituency as well. No one is clear if councillors will get an extension or when elections would be conducted,” he said.

The BJP had swept the 2017 polls, winning 181 out of 270 wards and an absolute majority in each of the corporations.