Delhi has a new mayor, Raja Iqbal Singh of the BJP, who swept the MCD elections held on Friday, April 25. With 133 out of 142 votes in his favor, Singh comfortably won against Congress’ Mandeep Singh, who managed only 8 votes. One vote was declared invalid.
This victory marks the BJP’s return to the helm of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi after nearly two years. The shift comes at a time when Delhi’s civic issues, from sanitation to infrastructure, are under growing scrutiny.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which previously held the mayoral seat, chose to boycott the elections entirely, leaving the BJP with a clear path to victory. “Let them rule Delhi without any excuses now,” an AAP spokesperson commented, signaling strong disapproval of the process.
Jai Bhagwan Yadav, also from the BJP and representing the Begumpur ward, became the new Deputy Mayor unopposed, after Congress’s Ariba Asif Khan pulled her name from the race.
Raja Iqbal Singh addressed the media after his win, saying Delhiites have placed their trust in the BJP once again. He assured that work on civic issues and internal committees would begin without delay.
Since the unification of Delhi’s three municipal corporations into one body in 2022, this is a significant shift in power dynamics that could shape the capital’s civic administration in the months to come.
