NEW DELHI: The BJP’s candidate selection process for next month’s MCD polls entered the final stages with the shortlisting of three names from each ward, leaders of the party’s Delhi unit said on Wednesday. The names of candidates are likely to be announced in the next two-three days, they said. The 250-ward Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) goes to polls on December 4 while counting will take place on December 7. The nomination process that started on Monday will conclude on November 14. A senior BJP Delhi unit leader associated with the process said, “The exercise of shortlisting three names from each ward has been completed. “Now the list will be compared with our surveys to select suitable candidates.” BJP National President JP Nadda also met Delhi unit leaders on Wednesday to discuss the high-stakes poll. The BJP has gathered over 15,000 names of probables. Teams of central and state leaders collected the names from local leaders, including present and past councilors, MLAs and mandal (ward) level office-bearers. The leaders and workers who want to contest the polls have also submitted their biodatas at BJP’ Delhi headquarters. A large number of probables also submitted their resumes to senior office-bearers. The names of three top probables gathered from all these channels have been shortlisted after discussions with district presidents and recommendations of Lok Sabha MPs in Delhi, said another Delhi unit leader. “The party ensured a fair and open-ended selection process so that even workers at the lowest organisational level could take part,” he said. The BJP has been in power in the Municipal Corporation Delhi — trifurcated in 2012 into north, south and east corporations and then unified this year — for three straight terms. The polls are largely being seen as a three-way contest between the BJP, the AAP and the Congress. In the 2017 civic body polls, the BJP had won 181 of the 270 wards. No polling could be held on two seats due to the deaths of candidates. The AAP had won 48 wards, while the Congress managed to win 27. The number of seats have been brought down to 250 from 272 following the reunification.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-bjps-candidate-selection-process-for-mcd-polls-enter-last-leg/articleshow/95408340.cms