Ashok Lahoti’s win creates row in BJP for mayor’s post

The election of mayor Ashok Lahoti to the state assembly has triggered a new row in the BJP over the appointment of the new mayor. The BJP councillors have been divided into three factions and all of them are staking their claims for the post of mayor. The BJP has given the responsibility of resolving the dispute of Jaipur Mayor to the state vice president Rajendra Gehlot, who will shortly convene a meeting of BJP councillors so that the new mayor could be selected by consensus.

Mayor Ashok Lahoti has been elected MLA from Sanganer assembly constituency. That’s why Lahoti will have to leave the post of mayor. However, Lahoti has not yet resigned from the post of mayor. The BJP councillors are pressurising the party for the mayor’s resignation. Despite the pressure from councillors, the mayor does not look in a mood to resign from the post. Among the three factions of BJP councillors, one faction is lobbying to make the OBC class councillor as mayor. 

While the other faction is demanding to give the mayor’s post to a member of the Brahmin community. The third group wants to make the councillor of the Vaishya community as mayor.  

The name of deputy mayor Manoj Bhardwaj, former chairman of the licensing committee Vishnu Lata, the chairperson of the compounding committee Rakhi Rathore, Finance Committee chairman Satyanarayan Dhamani and former Mayor Nirmal Nahata is in the discussion for the next mayor in the BJP. If Bharadwaj or Lata is declared the candidate the Mayor, then the post of deputy mayor will be given to any Rajput or Vaishya candidate. 

Looking at the previous history of the municipal corporation, the BJP has promoted the deputy mayor as a mayor. Bharadwaj is the strongest claimant in view of the history of old age. Before the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP organisation has been disturbed by the controversy over the post of mayor. BJP state president Madan Lal Saini has appointed state vice president Rajendra Gehlot in-charge of Jaipur Mayor election. 

According to sources, Gehlot has taken opinion from the party’s sitting and former legislators for the new mayor. Apart from this, he also spoke to some senior councillors. Gehlot may convene a meeting of the BJP councillor party on December 23 and 24.

BJP councillors met with former chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Friday under the leadership of Chairman of Rajasthan Agarwal Mahasabha and councilor Prakash Chand Gupta. After Prakash Gupta, former mayor Nirmal Nahata, councillor Ashok Garg and Satyanarayan Dhamani also reached there to keep their point. Shortly after this, Mayor Ashok Lahoti, along with Chairman Mukesh Lakhani and Navratan Naraniya reached 13, Civil Lines.