Quota politics: Kin get into Congress list

NEW DELHI: With the 50% reservation rule coming into effect, many sitting Congress councillors who lost their seats, as well as other political heavyweights, have succeeded in securing tickets for their kith and kin. West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra has taken the lead in this. He has managed to get two tickets for his niece and sitting councillor from Dabri Tilotama Chaudhary and sister-in-law Vimla Devi.
MLA Dayanand Chandelia secured tickets for his son Meghraj and daughter-in-law Meenakshi for the Vishnu Garden and Khyala wards. He fought hard to keep out Mahabal Mishra’a chosen candidates there. Ex-councillor Jitender Kochar has managed to get a ticket for his wife Nutan Kochar from village Hauz Rani.
In majority of the cases, the part has given tickets to family members of sitting councillors who were displaced due to 50% reservation. With wards like Gandhi Nagar (234), Kalkaji (96), Inder Lok Colony (74) and Rampura (62) reserved for women, the Congress has given tickets to wives of sitting councillors. Kalkaji’s sitting councillor Khavinder Singh Captain’s wife Narender Kaur Captain will be contesting from the ward. “My wife is the general secretary of the women’s wing of the west zone,’’ said Khavinder Singh.
Though the Congress had initially claimed that “committed party workers” will be given preference over family members of sitting councillors, the final list has a different story to tell. In Bazar Sita Ram ward, sitting councillor Mehmood Zia’s sister has been given a ticket. Likewise, sitting councillor from Okhla, Jamaluddin’s wife, Samira Begum, has been given a ticket. Party sources say this has been due to poor representation of Muslim women in the party cadre.
(With inputs from Maria Akram)