Jaipur: BJP has made significant inroads into the camp of independent councillors in Bharatpur Municipal Corporation, strengthening its numbers as it works to ensure the election of its mayor and form the board. The 65-member corporation has 20 BJP councillors, seven from Congress, 36 independents, and one each from the BSP and RLP. A total of 33 councillors are required for a majority. The 36 independents had emerged as the decisive factor after the results and had initially backed councillor Vichitra Singh for the mayor’s post with Congress support.Sources said BJP has identified around 15 councillors among those who have moved towards its camp whom the party suspects could cross-vote. To prevent its numbers from slipping on polling day, the party is considering keeping such councillors away from the voting process. “BJP is also keeping a close watch on councillors who had sought the mayoral ticket but were denied it, as it seeks to ensure that the councillors supporting its candidate remain with the party until voting,” said source“BJP had won 20 of the 65 wards, while Congress secured seven and independents 36. The BSP and RLP won one seat each. With 33 votes needed for a majority, the BJP initially required at least 13 additional councillors to cross the mark,” added a source.The source claimed that most of the independents have now extended support to the party, altering the arithmetic of the mayoral contest and strengthening its bid to form the board.BJP has fielded Ward 61 councillor Anuradha Singh for the mayor’s post. “The initial equation had put BJP in a challenging position, as it needed the support of at least 13 councillors from outside its camp to reach the majority mark. The movement of independent councillors towards BJP has since changed the numbers.,” he added.However, with the mayoral election approaching, BJP’s immediate challenge is to keep its numbers intact until polling. For Congress and the independent camp, the focus is on retaining enough councillors to prevent the BJP from securing the 33 votes required to elect its candidate.The movement of independent councillors between the two camps has thus emerged as the key factor in the contest for control of Bharatpur Municipal Corporation.
