: The ruling-BJP managed a comfortable victory over the Congress in mayoral polls in the South and East Delhi civic bodies on Wednesday, with the candidates sailing through.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which had seen a very close contest in 2014, saw the BJP candidate Shyam Sharma elected Mayor after polling 62 out of the 99 votes cast. Congress candidate Praveen Rana managed 37 votes, losing by a margin of 25.
Mr. Rana had been elected Deputy Mayor in 2014, when the Congress lost the Mayor’s post by a single vote.
For Deputy Mayor, the BJP candidate Shashi Prabha won by a margin of 21 votes, indicating some cross-voting in the ruling-party. The Congress’ Satish Gupta got 39 out of the 99 votes.
The newly-elected office-bearers were greeted by chants of “Bharat mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram”, from within the House and from the gallery above where supporters and relatives sat.
Mr. Sharma said that since this was the last year before municipal polls, he would work towards fulfilling promises, so “all of us get elected and return next year”.
In addition, three members to the Standing Committee were elected unopposed – outgoing Mayor Subhash Arya, BJP councillor Shailendra Singh Monty and Leader of the Opposition Farhad Suri.
In the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, BJP councillor from New Usmanpur Satya Sharma was elected Mayor, after defeating Taj Mohammad of the Congress by 23 votes. A total of 60 votes were cast, of which one was declared invalid. Ms. Sharma got 41 votes in the election, in which five members were absent.
With the same margin, BJP councillor from Kalyanpuri Raj Kumar Dhillon defeated Raj Kumari of the Congress to win the election for Deputy Mayor.
Jeetendra Chaudhary and Sanjay Jain of the BJP, and Savita Sharma of the Congress were elected unopposed as members of the Standing Committee.
