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Teluguvaadu Junior Artist Username: Teluguvaadu Post Number: 642 Registered: 11-2012 Posted From: 117.195.235.148 Rating: N/A |
http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/why-the-mc d-bypolls-aren-t-just-another-civic-bypoll-116051701441_1.ht ml In a poll that would normally have been dismissed as a minor civic bypoll, the MCD poll results to 13 wards in the capital is significant -- it marks the debut of the Aam Aadmi Party in the civic bodies but falls short of expectations, (won only 5 when it was slated to make sweep of all 13), the revival of Congress in Delhi decimated after the Assembly and Lok Sabha (won 5 seats) and signals anti- incumbency for the BJP which bagged only three wards (it held seven of these wards earlier) The polls were necessitated after sitting councillors got elected as MLAs in 2013 and 2015. As per the final tally, the AAP bagged five, Congress five and BJP three. For the BJP which has been ruling the MCD for close to a decade, this has been termed a setback but BJP members drew solace from the fact that their vote share hovered around 34 per cent. It was another thing that it did not translate into seats. For the AAP which has been at logger heads with the BJP especially over control of the three civic bodies, these polls signalled their toehold into the MCD but as the huddle of AAP party leaders indicated, soon after the results were declared; it flagged off a disenchantment of the voter 15 months after the historic win of the 2015 Assembly polls. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal conceded as much when he tweeted, "MCD ruled by BJP-Cong. Outsider AAP wins max seats in byelection. Thnx Delhi for reaffirming faith. Ab MCD election mein sabhi seat jeetni hai." (Will now have to win all seats in MCD polls 2017). The comeback of the Congress was a big surprise especially after it had been washed out in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha, bagging five wards. (The sole Independent candidate joined forces with the Congress pushing up its tally to four.) The Congress revival is being credited to Delhi Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Maken, the former Union minister who has been working at the grassroots attempting to bring back Congress into the reckoning. Incidentally, even in the 13 wards that went to poll, in the last MCD poll in 2012 Congress had not won any of them, in that sense it marks a major achievement for the Congress. In comparison to its vote share in 2015 Assembly polls, the Congress has recorded a rise notching 24 per cent, a far cry from the dismal 9.7 per cent. An ebullient Maken is tweeting "Congress is no 1", alleging that the not only had AAP vote shre being nearly halved, the BJP too had declined. Taking a dig at AAP, Maken commented that even AAP's ad blitz could not save the party and very soon it will meet the same fate as BJP's much hyped 'Indian Shining' campaign! But an astute Maken ascribed the victory to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's efforts at engaging with local issues. During the agitation of sanitation workers in the capital, Gandhi had visited them twice and also taken up the issue of slum dweller problems. AAP won from Matiala, Tekhand, Nanakpura, Vikas Nagar and Ballimaran wards. Congress won Quamaruddin Nagar, Munirka, Khichripur and Jhilmil wards while Congress rebel candidate Rajender Singh Tanwar from Bhati joined forces with Congress. BJP bagged Wazirpur, Nawada and Shalimar Bagh (North) wards. It is your claim to equality which hurts them. They want to maintain the status quo. If you continue to accept your lowly status ungrudgingly, continue to remain dirty, filthy, backward, ignorant, poor and disunited, they will allow you to live in peace. The moment you start to raise your level, the conflict starts. - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |