Amid campaign bustle,Mayor Mehra gets ready to step down

During the 2008 Assembly elections,Mehra was not given a ticket after the BJP decided against fielding councillors. Recently,despite being among the contenders for Lok Sabha ticket from New Delhi,she lost out to Vijay Goel.

However,despite the party denying ticket to councillors during Assembly polls,outgoing Deputy Mayor Divya Jaiswal has been fielded from Rohtas Nagar for the Assembly bye-election. The seat had become vacant after Congress leader Ram Babu Sharma passed away in February.

Outgoing Standing Committee Chairman Vijender Gupta has also been awarded with a Lok Sabha ticket from Chandni Chowk.

But Mehra says she will be content sitting with the 272 councillors. “I have no ego hassles. I will attend the House. I see myself on an advisory position to the Mayor and the Standing Committee Chairman,” she said.

As her last-bit of muscle flexing,Mehra organised the ‘Friends of BJP’ function on Monday at Siri Fort Auditorium,bringing together opinion leaders and RWA heads from South Delhi.

Meanwhile,in the MCD,for the post of Mayor,Dr Kanwar Sen’s name has been doing rounds,even though a tug-of war is on for the Deputy Mayor’s post. The BJP leadership is divided on whether to give the seat to a woman or appease Jats — Parvesh Verma has been lobbying to get the post for a candidate of his choice. For the Standing Committee Chairman’s post councillor Ram Krishan Singhal’s name is doing rounds.

The last date to file nomination for the various posts is April 17,and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be elected on April 23.