Notwithstanding the brute majority the BJP enjoys in the three municipal corporations, the party is undecided over electing the leader of the House in the civic bodies. While the North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations conducted the first meeting of the House on Thursday and Friday, there was no leader from the ruling party to manage the floor of the House.

BJP HAS NO LEADERS IN MCDs

Interestingly, the AAP has already appointed leaders of opposition in the three MCDs. Sources said infighting within the Delhi BJP is primarily responsible for the delay. It is for the first time that the MCDs have begun functioning without the leaders of the House, who are responsible for setting the agenda and managing affairs in the House meetings. The mayors on the other hand preside over the proceedings of the House.

FRONT-RUNNER ALL VIJAY GOEL LOYALISTS

While several names were floating for the post of leader of the House in the three civic bodies, the BJP leadership has so far failed to officially nominate any of them. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the party is considering names and an announcement could be made in a day or two.

However, top sources claimed the front-runners for the post in North and South corporations were loyalists of Vijay Goel and their nomination has been withheld as a fallout of the felicitation ceremony organised by the Union minister for newly elected councillors.

Over 50 BJP councillors had attended Goel's felicitation ceremony, which did not go down well with Tiwari who was conspicuous by his absence. "As a matter of practice, the leader of the House is nominated along with the mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee chairman. This is a strange situation where the first meetings have been conducted without a leader on the treasury benches," a senior BJP leader said. While the North and South MCDs have officially begun their functioning; the East MCD will hold the first house meeting on Monday. "We are considering names and a suitable leader will be nominated soon," Tiwari said.

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