MCD polls: Congress' north bastions breached

NEW DELHI: BJP’s resounding victory in North Corporation — with 59 seats — has set alarm bells ringing in the Congress. BJP has managed to make a dent in areas long considered Congress strongholds. Despite an average performance in the unified MCD, it didn’t lose its traditional vote bank — traders and Punjabis.The saffron party has won 15 seats in the four assembly constituencies — Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar and Rajinder Nagar — that have a large population of Punjabis and traders. Two of these constituencies, Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar, are Congress strongholds. BJP won 15 seats here despite denying tickets to most of the sitting councillors. “This has been our stronghold for decades. But this time we have managed to get votes of Congress supporters,’’ said Vijender Gupta, Delhi BJP president.According to senior BJP leaders, the high turnout in outer Delhi areas like Rohini, Rithala, Bawana, Narela, Sultanpur Majra etc, which have a large number of urban villages, unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters etc, helped the party get a clear majority. “Outer Delhi is our stronghold and the large voter turnout has just made things easier for us. We won most of the seats in Mangolpuri, Rohini , Shalimar Bagh etc,’’ said Yogender Chandolia, BJP councillor from Dev Nagar who was part of BJP’s election committee.On Tuesday, BJP supporters and winners outnumbered all others at the counting venues. At ITI Pusa, where results for central Delhi wards were being prepared, new BJP councillors insisted their party’s work ensured their success.Congress supporters quietly huddled in the shade outside the counting station even as BJP men screamed and hugged each other every time a round of counting was completed. Several important Congress candidates like Shalu Malik, who was a councillor for 15 years, Anju Popli, Dr Monika Puri and Kapil Yadav lost.Gupta says BJP’s decision not to repeat many sitting councillors helped it neutralise anti-incumbency even though it resulted in infighting and a lot of criticism.With a clear majority in the corporation, the party plans to focus on schemes to boost revenue. Unlike South Corporation, the North Corporation has few sources of revenue. Its property tax collection is just 30% of the total collected by the unified MCD. Over the years, BJP opposed taxation in these areas stating MCD didn’t provide basic facilities there. But now, sources say, it might have to change its policy to meet the administrative compulsion.The BJP claims it will now focus on improving the condition of the villages, unauthoirsed colonies etc. “These areas have been lying in a state of neglect for long. The Congress has done little to regularise the unauthorised colonies and for the development of slums and villages. We will focus on the development of these areas,’’ said Vani Tripathi, BJP national secretary.