Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NEWDELHI937
2007-02-26 11:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
DELHI TO ELECT A NEW MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ON APRIL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000937
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON IN
SUBJECT: DELHI TO ELECT A NEW MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ON APRIL
5
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000937
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON IN
SUBJECT: DELHI TO ELECT A NEW MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ON APRIL
5
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
1. (U) On March 23, the Delhi State Election Commission
announced that the city will hold municipal elections on
April 5, with the results tabulated on April 7. The city
recently increased its municipal wards from 134 to 272. Each
of these much smaller bodies will elect a Municipal
Counselor. Of the 272 seats, 46 are reserved for Scheduled
Castes and 92 for women. Delhi is both a city and a Union
Territory, and the Indian Constitution mandates that it hold
elections and seat the new government before April 10. There
will be 10,500 polling stations established across the city
to handle the 9.9 million registered voters, and electronic
voting machines will be used for the first time.
2. (C) The Delhi contest is between the ruling Congress and
the opposition BJP. Both parties are badly divided and
apparently incapable of running a unified campaign. Congress
faces a growing wave of "anti-incumbent" sentiment,
compounded by the controversial "sealing" of illegal
businesses, which have angered both the powerful shopkeeper
community and residents who resent the presence of illegal
commercial development in residential areas. The rising
inflation rate has also cut into the earning power of Delhi
residents and the BJP has been quick to capitalize on this
issue. Although the situation seems tailor made for a BJP
victory, the party cannot seem to resolve its internal
differences. On February 25, Lal Bihari Tiwari, one of the
party's senior leaders in Delhi, resigned to protest his
exclusion from the BJP election committee. Tiwari's
departure follows on the heels of that of Madanlal Khurana.
A former Chief Minister of Delhi, Khurana is now campaigning
against the BJP. Tiwari has a large personal following in
Delhi and the loss of these two leaders is a major setback to
the BJP campaign.
3. (C) Congress morale is also at a low ebb. The inflation
wave, corruption allegations, the anti-incumbency factor and
a general lack of organization and unity have convinced many
in the Congress camp that 2007 could be an electoral
disaster. There are growing fears that 2007 could see the
ouster of Congress governments in Uttarakhand and Punjab and
a poor electoral showing in Uttar Pradesh, where the party
cannot seem to break out of last place. A BJP victory in
Delhi would compound the damage and further weaken the UPA
coalition. Let's see if April will be the cruelest month.
4. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON IN
SUBJECT: DELHI TO ELECT A NEW MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ON APRIL
5
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
1. (U) On March 23, the Delhi State Election Commission
announced that the city will hold municipal elections on
April 5, with the results tabulated on April 7. The city
recently increased its municipal wards from 134 to 272. Each
of these much smaller bodies will elect a Municipal
Counselor. Of the 272 seats, 46 are reserved for Scheduled
Castes and 92 for women. Delhi is both a city and a Union
Territory, and the Indian Constitution mandates that it hold
elections and seat the new government before April 10. There
will be 10,500 polling stations established across the city
to handle the 9.9 million registered voters, and electronic
voting machines will be used for the first time.
2. (C) The Delhi contest is between the ruling Congress and
the opposition BJP. Both parties are badly divided and
apparently incapable of running a unified campaign. Congress
faces a growing wave of "anti-incumbent" sentiment,
compounded by the controversial "sealing" of illegal
businesses, which have angered both the powerful shopkeeper
community and residents who resent the presence of illegal
commercial development in residential areas. The rising
inflation rate has also cut into the earning power of Delhi
residents and the BJP has been quick to capitalize on this
issue. Although the situation seems tailor made for a BJP
victory, the party cannot seem to resolve its internal
differences. On February 25, Lal Bihari Tiwari, one of the
party's senior leaders in Delhi, resigned to protest his
exclusion from the BJP election committee. Tiwari's
departure follows on the heels of that of Madanlal Khurana.
A former Chief Minister of Delhi, Khurana is now campaigning
against the BJP. Tiwari has a large personal following in
Delhi and the loss of these two leaders is a major setback to
the BJP campaign.
3. (C) Congress morale is also at a low ebb. The inflation
wave, corruption allegations, the anti-incumbency factor and
a general lack of organization and unity have convinced many
in the Congress camp that 2007 could be an electoral
disaster. There are growing fears that 2007 could see the
ouster of Congress governments in Uttarakhand and Punjab and
a poor electoral showing in Uttar Pradesh, where the party
cannot seem to break out of last place. A BJP victory in
Delhi would compound the damage and further weaken the UPA
coalition. Let's see if April will be the cruelest month.
4. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD