The Pioneer 08.05.2013
Municipal bypoll: BJP wins two wards
In a crucial test of political strength ahead of the Assembly polls in the national Capital, the BJP defeated Congress to win byelections in two wards in North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations on Tuesday. While the BJP retained its Yamuna Vihar seat in East Delhi, the party managed to make an inroad into the Congress bastion of Nangloi. Elated over the results, the BJP termed the victory as a ‘rejection’ of the Congress in Delhi and said it was a befitting reply to the corrupt regime of the Congress Government. With the election results, BJP’s tally of seats has gone up to 60 in the House of 104-members in NMC whereas the number of seats remains at 35 in EDMC which has the strength of 64 members.
In Nangloi East (ward no 43), Renu Shokeen of BJP wrested the seat from the Congress winning by a margin of 4758 votes. While she polled 15,887 votes, her closest rival Ramesh Devi of Congress secured 11,129 votes. The seat in Nangloi East was earlier held by Congress councillor Satyam Yadav, who died late last year. It is for the first time the BJP won a seat in Nangloi.
In Yamuna Vihar (ward no 256), the BJP held on to its seat with a victory margin of 4,317 votes with Asha Tayal of the ruling party getting 13,123 votes as against 8,806 of Sushila Agrawal of Congress. The death of BJP councillor Vijay Bahal in February this year led to bye-elections in Yamuna Vihar ward. The voting for the two wards had taken place on May 5 with over 50 per cent voters coming out to exercise their franchise and the results were announced on Tuesday. While four candidates, including those from BJP and Congress were in the fray for Nangloi seat, eight candidates had filed their nomination for Yamuna Vihar.
Currently, BJP holds a clear majority in both the North and East Corporation houses but these bypolls are being considered significant due to the state assembly elections due to be held in November this year. “The people of Delhi are fed up with the rampant corruption under the Congress regime, both at the Centre and the State level. Food inflation and the increase in water and power bills are another reason for their resentment with the Congress government,” said Mahendra Nagpal, Leader of House in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
An upbeat Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel said people have given a befitting reply to the ‘highly personalised’ and ‘negative’ campaign of Congress leadership in these bypolls.
