How cross-voting in MCD polls resulted in a razor-thin margin for AAP

Apart from the MCD councillors, the mayoral predetermination process besides includes votes from 7 BJP Lok Sabha MPs, 3 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, and 14 MLAs nominated by the Delhi Assembly Speaker (13 from AAP and 1 from BJP). Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal did not crook up.

The BJP was projected to get 122 votes and the AAP 143. However, owed to cross-voting, AAP received astatine slightest 10 less votes than expected.

“We were already successful a minority, truthful we bash not see this a conflict we lost. Winning this predetermination was not our target; our lone people was a Dalit mayor. When the councillors are fed up, their temper changes towards the party, starring to this benignant of cross-voting,” Raja Iqbal Singh, BJP’s Leader of Opposition, said.

Asked astir the cross-voting aft helium bagged the mayor’s seat, Khichi said, “A triumph is simply a victory; it does not substance if it is by a azygous ballot oregon 3 votes. Our councillors are not swaying distant from the party. Small disagreements beryllium successful each party. Our precedence present is to hole the issues being faced successful Delhi earlier the elections and proceed the bully enactment erstwhile the elections conclude.”

The ward committee elections successful September besides saw important cross-voting with immoderate AAP councillors casting their votes successful BJP’s favour. In the South Zone, wherever AAP had 16 councillors against BJP’s six, a gully of tons was held to find the president aft 5 AAP councillors voted for the BJP, starring to an 11-11 tie.

Since erstwhile Delhi main curate Arvind Kejriwal’s apprehension successful the excise argumentation case, astatine slightest 10 councillors person defected from his enactment — 2 earlier the Lok Sabha polls, 5 successful August, and 3 much successful September. However, 2 councillors returned to the enactment soon after. Others did not formally permission but signalled their exit by filing nominations for the ward committee elections arsenic BJP candidates.

Kejriwal acknowledged the discontent wrong his ranks

In his archetypal code to enactment councillors aft being released from jail, Kejriwal acknowledged the discontent wrong his ranks portion making a rallying outcry for unity up of the Assembly elections. “Everyone is unhappy,” helium had said. “Those who did not get a summons are unhappy. Those who got a summons are unhappy. After getting the ticket, they fought elections; those who mislaid are unhappy, and those who won are besides unhappy. Now, the 1 who won is reasoning helium should get the MLA ticket. It is not similar the MLA is happy; helium is besides unhappy, reasoning helium should go a minister. Even the curate is unhappy,” Kejriwal had remarked, to which the gathered councillors had responded with laughter.

Of the three-vote borderline that AAP received, 2 votes swung successful their favour aft Congress councillors Shagufta Chaudhary shifted to enactment AAP a fewer days earlier the elections and Sabila Begum connected the time of the predetermination itself. Both Chaudhary and Begum near Congress on with their spouses, expecting Assembly tickets from AAP.

Chaudhary earlier confirmed that either her hubby Zubair Chaudhary oregon her father-in-law, five-time MLA Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed, would beryllium the caller AAP campaigner for the Seelampur seat. AAP sources said that galore of their councillors are besides expecting tickets to contention the upcoming Assembly elections from their strongholds.