BJP gets majority in MCD ward committee elections

The BJP on Monday clinched a decisive victory in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) ward committee elections, winning the chairmanship in eight out of 12 zones, deputy chairmanship in nine zones and securing an additional seat in the standing committee.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said: “The results of the elections for the ward committees and the standing committee of the Delhi Municipal Corporation have clearly established that the AAP is a disintegrating party. The AAP has not only lost public support, but even its elected representatives and party office-bearers are drifting away from it”.

Sachdeva said the BJP’s performance, particularly winning the chairmanship in eight zones and its growing influence in the standing committee, indicates a growing internal rift within AAP and a shift in support among its councillors. He expressed confidence that the BJP would also secure the 11th standing committee seat in the elections scheduled for Tuesday.

The elections were necessitated by two vacant standing committee seats following the election of Prem Chauhan and Punardeep Singh Sawhney to the Delhi Legislative Assembly earlier this year. The BJP has already strengthened its position by securing the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts earlier in 2024.

Echoing the sentiment, Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said: “This mandate reflects the people’s faith in the BJP’s vision for development. We will now focus on restarting stalled civic projects, enhancing cleanliness, upgrading MCD schools and improving access to primary healthcare”.

He emphasised that the BJP believes in governance beyond “petty politics” and is committed to a citizen-first agenda.

In the City SP Zone, AAP candidates won all positions unopposed, with Vikas elected chairman, Pooja deputy chairman and Rafia Mahir standing committee member.

The BJP asserted control over multiple zones. In Najafgarh, Savita and Devendra won with 15 out of 20 votes. Shahdara South saw Ram Kishor Sharma and Raju Sachdeva secure victory with 18 votes each. Shahdara North was another BJP stronghold where Puneet Sharma and Mukesh Kumar Bansal won with 20 votes.

In South Zone, BJP’s Umed Singh and Anita won the chairman and deputy chairman posts with narrow margins. BJP’s Jagmohan Mehlawat won the standing committee seat here.

In Keshav Puram, BJP candidates Vikesh Sethi and Ajay Ravi Hans were elected unopposed. Civil Lines and Narela Zones also went to the BJP, with Gulab Singh and Suman Kumari winning 11-7 against AAP in Civil Lines, and Babita and Janta Devi winning 13-6 in Narela.

AAP got success in Karol Bagh where Puneet Rai and Kavita Chauhan were elected unopposed. In the West Zone, AAP’s Nirmala Kumari and Sahil Gangwal narrowly edged out BJP and IVP candidates with 14 and 13 votes, respectively.

Rohini Zone saw a split verdict with AAP’s Amrit Jain narrowly winning the chairmanship 11-10 against the IVP, while BJP’s Narendra Kumar Singh won the deputy chairmanship by a single vote. In Central Zone, BJP’s Yogita Singh and Manju Devi were elected unopposed after AAP’s Sarika withdrew her nomination, adding to BJP’s tally.

With this win, the BJP has further solidified its control over Delhi’s municipal administration, setting the stage for an aggressive push on urban development, civic services, and infrastructure.