Shimla: Fearing poaching by ruling Congress ahead of election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), the BJP has acted smartly and taken all its 17 councilors and the rebel member, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who won as an independent to some unknown place.

Shimla: Fearing poaching by ruling Congress ahead of election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), the BJP has acted smartly and taken all its 17 councilors and the rebel member, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who won as an independent to some unknown place.

The newly elected councillors were called to party headquarter yesterday, where former Chief Minister P K Dhumal and other senior BJP leaders were already present. The independent member also joined them.

Senior party leaders chalked out the strategy for election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor with the councillors and consensus was arrived on candidature of Kusum Sardet for the post of Mayor as she was the only councillor in the party eligible for the post of the Mayor, reserved for Scheduled caste woman. However, party sources were tight lipped on the issue. Sardet was elected from Annandale ward Number 4.

Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who was expelled from the party for contesting against the BJP supported candidate from Panthaghati (ward number 26), has been taken back into the party fold and is likely to be the Deputy Mayor.