BJP set for Delhi mayor poll victory as AAP decides to boycott election

New Delhi: BJP appears poised for victory in the mayoral election scheduled for Friday, following Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) declaration at a press conference to boycott the process.
Congress, with eight councillors, stands little chance of winning. The party has nominated its candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. Mandeep Singh, councillor from the Nangloi ward, filed a nomination for the mayor post, and Ariba Khan, councillor from Abul Fazal Enclave, filed the nomination for the deputy mayor post.

BJP has nominated Raja Iqbal Singh as the candidate for the mayoral position and Jai Bhagwan Yadav for the deputy's role.
Raja Iqbal Singh, councillor for the second term from Mukherjee Nagar, previously served as mayor in the erstwhile North Corporation. He is currently the leader of the opposition.
Yadav is a councillor for the second term from Begumpur. In the current MCD house, BJP holds 117 councillor seats while AAP has 113.
The lieutenant governor has appointed Satya Sharma, who represents the Gautampuri ward, to serve as the presiding officer for the mayoral elections.
This appointment marks her fourth stint in this role since the MCD elections in 2022. The municipal secretary's office of MCD has released guidelines for the voting day, specifically mandating that councillors must leave their phones outside when entering the meeting hall.
"MCD will implement identical protocols for entry and participation in the mayoral election by the councillors and nominated members, maintaining the phone prohibition that was enforced during the previous standing committee and mayoral elections. Frisking will be done for all, and no supporters will be allowed along with the contesting candidate inside the hall," an official said.
The five-year term for the reunified MCD began on January 6, 2023. In the first three terms, including the first one meant for a woman and the third for an SC candidate, AAP's councillors served the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. Shelly Oberoi was elected as the first mayor in reunified MCD in Feb 2023.
Addressing a press conference, AAP councillor Oberoi, leader of the house Mukesh Goel, and councillor Ankush Narang declared that AAP will not participate, citing BJP's full control over Delhi through its "triple-engine govt" at the Centre, state, and now MCD. AAP stated that it's time for the BJP to take full responsibility for governance and fulfil its promises, without making excuses. The party affirmed it will play the role of a constructive opposition and hold the BJP accountable.
Oberoi said: "The MCD elections in Delhi were originally scheduled for March-April 2022. However, the BJP conspired to defeat AAP. Through deceit and manipulation, the BJP redrew the boundaries of all MCD wards. Despite this, in the elections held in Dec 2022, the people of Delhi gave AAP a clear majority. When it was time to elect the mayor and deputy mayor, BJP once again resorted to unconstitutional and undemocratic tactics. AAP went to court, and only then were the mayor and deputy mayor duly elected."
The party won 134 seats in 2022 MCD elections, but eventually, several AAP councillors moved to BJP. In the last mayor election held in Nov 2024, AAP's candidate Mahesh Khinchi won the mayor election by three seats only.