Subhash Arya is new leader of MCD House, Ved Gupta deputy leader

Subhash Arya has been selected as the new leader of the House in the MCD and Ved Gupta as the deputy leader. The elected councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took this decision unanimously on Sunday.

Other BJP councillors in the fray for the leader's post were Meera Aggarwal and Prithvi Raj Sahani. Vijender Gupta, the leader of the Opposition in the MCD's outgoing Standing Committee, recommended the name of Subhash Arya. Arya was the leader of the Opposition in the House during the last five years.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, Delhi BJP president Harshvardhan and the party in-charge of Delhi affairs Vijay Kumar Malhotra were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the councillors Vardhan said that now the real challenge was to make Delhi a world-class Capital by working as a real public servant. "We will have to work hard to make the Capital free from the Congress originated corruption and make the city clean and green where there will be smile on every face," Vardhan said. He said that the councillors should work honestly to ensure that they were elected again after five years.

National General Secretary Arun Jaitley said that the party's victory in Delhi is important for whole of India. "With this victory, the BJP continues to win in 10 States and our next aim will be to achieve victory at the Centre in the 2009 elections preceded by victory in UP, Gujrat, Himachal, Goa and Delhi Legislative Assembly," Jaitely said.

He added that the sealing, price spiral, terrorism, corruption, failures of law and order are responsible for the rout of the Congress. BJP senior leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra held that the works of all the councillors should pave the way of victory for the BJP in the elections to Delhi Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha.

He said that in all the committees of the MCD, the BJP councillors should be allowed to work for one year each.