The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress fields Verma for Mayor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 08, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress fields Verma for Mayor

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 7. The ruling Congress in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today fielded the party Councillor from Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi, A.R. Verma, for the post of Delhi Mayor, election for which is scheduled on April 12.

However, unable to reach a consensus for the post of Deputy Mayor, the party high command asked two senior Congress Councillors, Ramesh Datta from Minto Road and Zameer Ahmed Munna from Seelampur, to submit their nomination papers for this post.

In a dramatic turn of events, defying the directions of the Leader of the House, Satbir Singh, the party Councillor from G.T.B. Nagar, Kusum, filed her nomination papers for the post of Delhi Mayor a few minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline, claiming that she had been asked by the party high-command. However, the Municipal Secretary, V.S. Sharma, rejected her nomination in the absence of a proposer and a seconder.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party fielded party Councillor from Dev Nagar, Yogender Chandolia, for the post of Mayor and its Councillor from Sangam Vihar, Savita Singh, for Deputy Mayor.

Given that the Congress has over 100 Councillors and the BJP 17 in the 134-members House, the election of Mr. Verma as the next Mayor is a mere formality. He is expected to succeed the outgoing Mayor, Ashok K. Jain, at the special session of the House on April 12.

The Leader of the House, Satbir Singh, said the final name for Deputy Mayor would be decided in a day or two. "Subsequently, either Mr. Munna or Mr. Datta would be asked to withdraw their name," he said.

Conceding that Ms. Kusum had violated the party directive by filing her papers as rebel for the Delhi Mayor, Mr. Singh said he brought the issue to notice of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Prem Singh, and necessary disciplinary action would be taken against her.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kusum alleged that an influential lobby of Congress Councillors had prevented her from contesting for the post of Delhi Mayor. "My name was cleared by high-command. A group of Councillors ensured that my nomination papers were rejected," she alleged.

Claiming she had reached the office of the Municipal Secretary 20 minutes before the deadline of 5 p.m., Ms. Kusum alleged that Mr. Sharma instead of giving nomination form informed and called Mr. Singh. "Mr. Singh took me out of the room and tried to convince me not to file the papers. But when I insisted that if two nominations papers could be filed for the post of Deputy Mayor then why not for the Mayor. I came back a few minutes later and was given the papers only a few minutes before the deadline, as a result I did not have enough time to call the proposer and seconder," she alleged.

Though Mr. Sharma denied the charges, Ms. Kusum said she would lodge a complaint with the competent authority against the Municipal Secretary and also with the party president, Sonia Gandhi, against Mr. Singh. "Today's event only indicates how difficult it is for a woman to survive in local politics," she rued.

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