The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress Councillors revolt, Deputy Leader defeated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress Councillors revolt, Deputy Leader defeated

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 19. Revolting against the party high command's decision, the Councillors of the ruling Congress party in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today ensured that many of the party nominees were not elected to the various posts during the annual MCD elections.

Prominent among them were the Deputy Leader of House in the MCD, Memwati Barwala, who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Devender Yadav. He polled seven votes against just one in Ms. Barwala's favour in the elections held for membership of the Standing Committee. Anticipating her defeat, Ms. Barwala did not even participate in the election process and left Town Hall even before the process begin. The Leader of the House, Satbir Singh, and the party observer were seen running after angry Ms. Barwala as she left the place. Senior Councillors said this was perhaps for the first time that a dissident group has defeated a senior party leader.

As the party Councillors ganged up against Ms. Barwala and with both the candidates refusing to withdraw their nominations, the elections to the Rohini Zone was postponed several times during the day. Same was the case with elections to various other posts in the civic body. Over a dozen Councillors revolted against the high command nominee Parveen Massy for the post of Shahdara (South) Zone Chairman. Supporting Bansi Lal for the post, they said they would not allow Ms. Messy to become the Chairman as the party had earlier expelled her for her anti-party activities. "She is being awarded for anti-party activities," they alleged.

Initially, Ms. Messy refused to withdraw her nomination claiming that her name was cleared by the party high command and the other Councillors were indulging in anti-party activities. However, after the election was postponed several times, she was forcefully persuaded to withdraw from the race as the Councillors had already pressed for voting. Finally Bansi Lal was elected the Chairman. His party colleagues Savitri Sharma was elected the Deputy Chairman, while Ramesh Pandit was elected member of the Standing Committee.

Elections to the post of Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the rural Narela Zone was held by draw of lots as both the rivals -- the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party -- candidates got equal votes. While Narain Singh of the BJP was elected the Chairman, Kamaljeet Singh of the Congress has become his Deputy.

Laxman Dass Ahuja of the Congress was elected as Chairman of the Rohini Zone, while the Deputy Chairman's post remained vacant as no nomination was filed.

However, elections to the Karol Bagh and Shahdara (North) Zone were a smooth affair. Tulsi Ram Sablania was elected the Chairman of Karol Bagh Zone, Manjeet Singh Khanna was elected Deputy Chairman. Anil Kumar Vashisht was elected the Chairman of Shahdara (North), Phool Wati was elected as his Deputy.

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