Chandigarh MC polls: BJP to allocate tickets on ‘winnability’ factor, not policy against dynasty

It is going to be “winnability” factor and not its recent policy decision against “dynastic” politics, that will determine the allocation of tickets by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming Chandigarh municipal corporation elections.

In the recently concluded bypolls for Lok Sabha and state legislatures, the party had consciously denied tickets to family members of its serving legislatures whose death had led to seat vacancy and necessitated the bypolls.

BJP state president Arun Sood, said, “Winnability will be the main criterion, along with commitment to party and spotless character. If a candidate has winnability factor in his favour, we cannot rule out his candidature only because he is a family member of a councillor.”

Two surveys, to be conducted in all the wards, will measure the winnability of a candidate for the party.

Bypoll results changed party policy

Notably, party changed its stance in recent days on giving tickets to family members of its councillors.

“Couple of weeks ago, in party workers’ meeting, a senior party leader had even declared that the party is against dynastic politics and so, councillors should not expect tickets for their family members. He said that it was in line with the national party policy,” said a BJP councillor requesting anonymity.

Party loss in bypolls is being seen as the main reason for the changed party’ stand. Many in the party concede that not giving tickets to the family members of the its deceased legislatures played a key role in party losing ground in the just concluded bypolls.

“Though several factors played role in the election results, but party went for a principled approach against dynastic politics in the process losing sight over winnability of the candidate. In the end, the party could retain only one of the six seats which had fallen vacant after its law-makers died earlier this year,” said a senior BJP officer bearer.

Sood, though said, “Every region has it localized dynamics and require different election strategy. What works in Chandigarh may not work somewhere else.”

Push for female relatives

Reservation of 12 wards for women has dramatically changed the political chessboard of the city. This is particularly so for the ruling party which has to placate the claims of its 20 existing councillors for party’s tickets, most of who lost their original wards either to ward re-arrangement or reservation.

For instance, former mayor Rajesh Kalia, councillors Jagtar Singh Jagga, Anil Kumar Dube and Vinod Aggarwal’s wards have been reserved for women candidates.

Many of the councillors are now pushing the party to select their female family members as their replacement for party ticket from reserved constituencies.

Underplaying the role of dynastic politics in choosing its candidates, Sood, said, “We have a strong women wing in all wards. We will have very strong candidates from all wards reserved for women.”