They will get less than a year to perform as MCD elections are scheduled in May 2017 but the by-elections in 13 MCD wards have become a do-or-die situation for political parties. While the Aam Aadmi Party is going all out in making efforts to repeat the landslide victory of the Delhi assembly elections, Congress and BJP have pitched their best resources for revival.
“AAP councilors will develop their wards as ‘model wards’ in the city to show people in MCD elections 2017. In these 13 wards we will show the people of Delhi the difference AAP can bring to the city,” said Deepak Bajpai, spokesperson of AAP asserting that the party will win all the 13 wards.
“We shall repeat our victory in this by-election and we are treating it as semi-final for the MCD election in 2017,” he added. AAP was the first to announce the candidates in the 13 wards in the fray and like previous elections the candidates started their campaigns much before BJP and Congress finalised their list.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken views it as a referendum on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal government. “This by-election is more of a political fight than a mere election of 13 MCD wards. The situation has changed and people now know AAP failed to deliver on its promise,” said Maken.
He further added that people of Delhi now compare the development works of Congress government and fake promises of AAP government in Delhi and BJP at the Centre. “I have been working with people for a decade. I see it as an opportunity to deliver on the trust the party has reposed in some and expectations of people. The voters also know we have little time and they know how to judge their representatives,” said Joginder Tanwar, a Congress debutant from the Bhatti Mines ward. He is the son of the former Chhatarpur MLA Balram Tanwar and is contesting from Bhatti Mines ward, earlier won by BJP’s Karan Singh Tanwar who quit his party and is now an AAP MLA from Chhatarpur.
The elections may not affect the ruling government in the centre but in the three MCDs it is a matter of revival and survival and knowing the seriousness, the party has fielded three ex MLAs. “By the time these councilors will come, the elections for Mayor and other posts would be completed. So they wouldn’t affect the power in that manner but it’s actually a fight of ideologies and every election is important for us,” said Ashish Sood, Delhi BJP General Secretary who is also Leader of House in South MCD.
“I am sure of my victory from this ward as even in AAP’s landslide victory they lost this ward by 300 votes,” said Mahendra Nagpal, who is two time councilor and former MLA from Wazirpur.