New Delhi (National Times): In a major political shift in Delhi’s civic landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reclaimed its hold over the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), with Raja Iqbal Singh elected Mayor following a commanding victory. With 133 out of 142 votes in his favor, Singh outpaced Congress’ Mandeep Singh, who garnered a mere 8 votes, while one vote was invalidated.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted the elections altogether, accusing the BJP of subverting democratic norms and stating that the saffron party should now “rule Delhi without any excuses.” With AAP absent and Congress lacking numbers, the BJP faced no serious resistance, sweeping both mayoral and deputy mayoral posts.
The Deputy Mayor position was secured by BJP’s Jai Bhagwan Yadav from the Begumpur ward, after Congress’ Ariba Asif Khan withdrew her candidacy, resulting in an unopposed victory for the BJP.
Raja Iqbal Singh, a senior figure in Delhi BJP, acknowledged the victory as a mandate from Delhi’s citizens to resolve civic woes. He promised timely elections for the standing committees and swift governance reforms.
This development marks the BJP’s comeback to Delhi’s municipal leadership since the MCD was restructured into a unified body in May 2022, combining the East, North, and South Delhi municipal corporations.
