BJP picks Rekha Gupta for Delhi mayoral election

New Delhi, December 27

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today declared its candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The BJP fielded Shalimar Bagh (North) Councillor Rekha Gupta for the post of Mayor and Ram Nagar Councillor Kamal Bagri for the post of Deputy Mayor. The elections will be held on January 6 during the first meeting of newly elected MCD councillors. The party candidates, after the announcement, filed their nomination papers.

Two days ago, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha had claimed that the BJP was planning to support Independent candidate and had challenged the saffron party to directly contest the mayoral poll.

The AAP has a clear edge in the election with the 134 councillors against BJP’s 104. The total strength of the MCD house is 250.

When asked about the numbers, Rekha Gupta, who is the former president of the Delhi University Students Union, said, “I will appeal to all the elected councillors to vote for the best eligible candidate. I have been elected as councillor for the third time, therefore, I have the requisite experience.”

AAP’s candidates for the elections had filed their nominations on Monday. The party has fielded Shelly Oberoi as its mayor candidate and Aale Mohammad Iqbal for the deputy mayor’s post.

Despite their majority in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election, AAP has been apprehensive about the election and has been accusing the BJP of horse trading. The party has also alleged that the BJP was threatening its councillors.

Soon after MCD results were declared, the BJP had announced that the election of the mayor was an “open game”.

AAP had intensified its attack on the BJP following the saffron party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya’s tweet: “Now, over to electing mayor for Delhi. It will all depend on who can hold the numbers in a close contest, which way the nominated councillors vote, etc. Chandigarh has a BJP mayor, for instance.”