The Hindu 31.03.2013
Two Corporation wards to go for by-polls
The Election Commission of Delhi is expected to shortly
announce polls for two wards of the Delhi Municipal Corporation, which
had fallen vacant after the death of the sitting councillors.
While
one of these wards, 43 Nangloi East, is part of the North Delhi
Municipal Corporation, the other, 256 Yamuna Vihar, comes under the East
Delhi Municipal Corporation.
The Nangloi East seat
had fallen vacant after the death of Congress councillor Satyam Yadav,
who died on November 8 last year. The seat was declared vacant by MCD
Secretary on November 30.
Elections likely in
May first week
The
election to the other constituency, Yamuna Vihar, was necessitated by
the death of Councillor Vijay Bahal. She died on February 14 this year
and the seat was subsequently declared vacant on March 6 by the
Municipal Secretary.
As per sources, the State
Election Commission is likely to issue the notification in about a
week’s time and conduct elections for both these wards in the first week
of May. The process of filing of nominations is therefore expected to
commence in the second week of April.
Significant polls
Being
held in the same year as the Delhi Assembly elections, the by-polls to
the two wards of Delhi Municipal Corporations are very crucial for both
the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Party
sources said these elections would also provide the political pundits
and the two rival parties an idea about the issues, which are high on
the voters’ agenda. “At the same time, it should not be forgotten that
Delhi in the past too has often voted quite differently in the municipal
and Assembly elections,” said a senior politician.
Several
politicians also believe that these civic by-elections should be held
along with the Assembly elections due later this year. “Is it worth the
effort to hold the elections to these two wards just about six months
before the Assembly polls?” asked a Congress leader.
