Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari Thursday nominated three party councillors -- two women and a Dalit Sikh -- for the mayoral elections in three municipal corporations here.
Expressing confidence, Delhi BJP general secretary Rajesh Bhatia said Avtar Singh, a Mallah Sikh, will create history by becoming the mayor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
"No Dalit Sikh has ever become mayor of Delhi's civic bodies," he said, adding that Singh represents the Civil Lines ward.
The move assumes significance as elections to seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital and mayoral polls will take place next month.
The BJP's decision to field Singh is also expected to send a positive signal among Sikhs here.
Anju Kamalkant and Sunita Kangra, both belonging to the schedule caste category, were nominated as mayoral candidates for the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) respectively.
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The BJP has majority in the three civic bodies.
Sanjay Goyal, Yogesh Verma and Raj Dutt Gahlot have been nominated as candidates for deputy mayor elections in the EDMC, NDMC and SDMC, respectively.
Two councillors each from the party were also nominated for election to the standing committees of the respective municipal corporations.
The elections for the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and three members of the standing committee of the SDMC will be held on April 26, a senior SDMC official said.
The last date to submit nominations is April 18, he said.
Mayoral polls in EDMC and NDMC would be held on April 29.
"This year, as per the rotation basis, the mayoral seat is reserved for the SC category," he said.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act provides for election of mayor and deputy mayor from among the councillors of the corporations in the first meeting of the House every year.
The mayors and deputy mayors get a year-long term in the cities of Union Territories.