BJP Secures Mayor and Deputy Mayor Posts in MCD (Image Source: Internet)
New Delhi: A major political shift has taken place within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Pravesh Wahi has been elected as the mayor. He secured a total of 156 votes, a tally that included 14 votes from the Indraprastha Vikas Party. In contrast, the Congress candidate, Haji Zaraf, received a mere 9 votes.
Alongside the mayoral post, the BJP also secured a victory for the position of deputy mayor. Monika Pant received 156 votes and was elected deputy mayor. Thus, the BJP has successfully captured both of these key positions.
The BJP has also gained an advantage within the Standing Committee. Jai Bhagwan Yadav and Manish Chadha were elected to this committee. However, Jalaj Chaudhary (AAP) has also secured a spot on this panel.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not participate in this election. The party's Delhi president, Saurabh Bharadwaj, stated that this was a strategic decision. He argued that this move would place full responsibility on the BJP, thereby providing AAP with the opportunity to scrutinize and question their performance.
A total of 273 votes were cast in this election, involving councilors, MLAs, and MPs. A minimum of 137 votes was required to secure a victory—a threshold that the BJP crossed with ease.
Prior to this, since November 2024, the mayoral post had been held by Mahesh Kumar Khinchi, who had won by a very narrow margin. The BJP has now claimed this position for itself.
Upon becoming mayor, Pravesh Wahi stated that his top priorities would be to ensure a clean and hygienic Delhi and to accelerate developmental projects. He also expressed his gratitude to the party leadership and the chief minister.
It is noteworthy that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was unified in 2022, when the East, North, and South municipal corporations were merged to form a single entity.
