The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress to `decide' BJP nominee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress to `decide' BJP nominee

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party would have to depend on the ruling Congress to have its representation in the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the most powerful deliberative wing of the MCD.

The two-year tenure of the only BJP member in the MCD Standing Committee, Vijender Kumar Gupta, expired on March 31 along with those of Standing Committee Chairman, Mukesh Goel and the former Delhi Mayor, Jaishree Panwar.

The 134-member MCD House is scheduled to elect its three representatives for the two-year term in the Standing Committee on April 12. The BJP, which has just 17 members in MCD, needs support of another 27 Councillors to get its member through. This seems to be unlikely, given that the Congress has 105 members.

However, senior Congress leaders in the MCD said they were willing to "spare" one seat for the BJP in the Standing Committee for the sake of healthy democracy. But they want that the BJP candidate should be of their choice and should not put them in the dock, as the outgoing Mr. Gupta, often did with the ruling party.

As the Congress is reported to have decided to send the Leader of House, Satbir Singh, in the Standing Committee, one group of the Congress Councillors are in favour of offering the seat to the Leader of the Opposition, Subhash Arya. But this is being opposed by the other group, who argue that Mr. Arya would prove to be more difficult to handle. "Talks are already on with the BJP in this regard. But no decision has been taken," a Councillor said. However, Mr. Arya said the decision would be taken by the Delhi BJP president, Harsh Vardhan. "No one can dictate terms to us," he said.

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