The strain between the JD(U) and the BJP in the state became obvious once again when the latter’s effort to build a consensus over a mayoral candidate for the capital turned into a forum of dissenting voices.

Most of the councillors affiliated to the BJP said they were “hurt” at the treatment meted out by some senior party leaders and that of the JD(U), and refused to support any names for mayor and deputy mayor.

According to sources, the closed-door meeting was convened by BJP MLAs Nitin Navin and Arun Sinha — who represent Bankipore and Patna (central) constituencies respectively — and MLC Rajendra Gupta late on Thursday evening in Rajendra Nagar.

In all, 38 newly elected Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) councillors, many of whom are not affiliated to the BJP, attended the meet called ahead of a councillors’ meet with deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi in the coming few days.

“We have 25 of our workers as PMC councillors even tho-ugh the civic polls are not fou-ght on party lines in the state. The meeting’s aim was to create a consensus for the name of Sanjay Kumar as mayor and Deepak Chaurasia or Sus-hma Sahu as deputy mayor,” a close associate of Nitin Navin told The Telegraph.

He added: “Things went awry as most of the councillors accused the BJP leaders of neglecting them and bowing to the JD(U)’s demands and wishes. We are now hoping that Modi will pacify the dissenting councillors and convince them for a common name for the post of mayor.”

Many councillors recalled how the BJP had given in to the demand of the JD(U) to elect Afzal Imam as the city mayor after Kumar was removed from the post through a no-confidence motion in 2009.

“Also during Kumar’s tenu-re, there was no recognition of party workers. Only a select few councillors had a say in the running of the corporati-on while others were treated badly. What is the point in having one of us (councillors affiliated to the BJP) as mayor then?” Hemlata Verma, who represents ward number 5 and heads the women’s wing of the state BJP, reportedly said during the meeting.

She also demanded that a woman be elected as the may-or or deputy mayor as 39 wom-en had won the PMC elections even though only 36 out of 72 seats were reserved for them.

The discontent among BJP councillors, meanwhile, is set to benefit sitting mayor Imam who is busy scouting support for himself. The state election commission has directed the district administration to get the mayor and the deputy mayor elected on June 10.

Imam is said to have the support of at least 30 councillors in the corporation. A total of 37 votes are required for winning the mayor chair that is reserved for Muslim/ backward castes since 2007.