AAP’s Mahesh Khichi elected as Delhi Mayor for a 5-month term
New Delhi: After months of delays and heated exchanges between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the election for the Delhi mayor and deputy mayor posts was finally held today in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House. Mahesh Kumar Khichi of AAP emerged victorious in a close race for the mayoral position, narrowly defeating BJP candidate Kishan Lal.
A total of 265 votes were cast by Delhi parliamentarians, select MLAs, and MCD House members. Out of 265 total votes, Kumar secured 133 votes to Lal’s 130, with two votes marked as invalid. Kumar, a councilor from Dev Nagar (Ward No. 84), expressed his determination to focus on urban issues: “The challenge is to work in the service of the people of Delhi—the way Arvind Kejriwal has done for the people of Delhi. My priority will be to work for the cleanliness of the city,” Kumar stated.
Kumar’s tenure, however, will be short-lived. Due to the extended delay in the election, he will serve only until April 2025, as the mayoral position is reserved by rotation. This term was designated for a Dalit candidate, a fact that has added a complex layer of political tension to the election proceedings. Originally scheduled for April, the election faced continuous setbacks as AAP and BJP engaged in a prolonged standoff. In contrast to the mayoral race, the election for deputy mayor proceeded smoothly, with AAP’s Ravindra Bhardwaj elected unopposed. Bhardwaj, a councilor from Aman Vihar (Ward No. 41), was the sole candidate after BJP’s Neeta Bisht withdrew her nomination. Bisht, a councilor from Sadatpur (Ward No. 247), cited “party strategy” as the reason for stepping back.
This unopposed win allows AAP to solidify its leadership within the MCD, continuing its influence over the municipal body after ending BJP’s 15-year stint in December 2022.
Congress Boycotts Vote Over Shortened Tenure Eight Congress councilors staged a boycott, demanding a full mayoral term instead of the shortened five-month tenure that the delayed election had resulted in. Seven councilors walked out as voting began, while one member, Sabila Begum of Ward No. 243 (Mustafabad), chose to remain and cast her vote in support of AAP after resigning from Congress. Begum, who had previously defected to AAP in 2022 before rejoining Congress, cited a commitment to “represent the needs of Mustafabad” as her reason for casting her vote. Her defection brought additional political drama to the proceedings, with her husband, Mohammad Khushnood, also resigning from Congress in solidarity.
BJP Claims Cross-Voting and Criticises Kejriwal
BJP, with 120 members, managed to gain an additional 10 votes beyond its expected count. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticised AAP’s internal cohesion, alleging that some of AAP’s own members voted for BJP’s mayoral candidate. Sachdeva claimed that at least eight AAP councilors cast votes in favor of Kishan Lal, and two additional votes were intentionally spoiled, suggesting internal discontent.
