BJP dominates MCD ward committee polls
New Delhi: Establishing its dominance in the Standing Committee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) — the highest decision making body of the civic agency — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in seven out of the 12 zones in MCD zonal wards polls held on Wednesday; while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured the rest five. These elections, the first since the MCD’s unification in 2022, were conducted after a 19-month delay for filling the posts of chairman, deputy chairman of the zonal ward committees, and one member each for the Standing Committee.
Of the 12 zones in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured unopposed victories in two zones — City SP and Karol Bagh — while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won uncontested in Keshav Puram due to a lack of opposing nominations. AAP also claimed a win in the Rohini Zone with 14 votes. In the South Zone, despite AAP holding a 10-seat lead, cross-voting led to an 11-11 tie for the zonal chairman’s position. The tie was broken by a draw, with AAP ultimately emerging victorious.
The BJP dominated by winning all three posts in the Shahdara North, Najafgarh, Shahdara South, Civil Lines, Central, and Narela Zones. Pawan Sehrawat and Sugandha, both former AAP members who recently joined BJP, were elected as chairpersons of the Narela and Central Zones, respectively. Notably, LG had nominated four aldermen for the Narela and Civil Lines zones, and two for the Central zone - who also have the voting rights in ward committee elections.
The Civil Lines Zone was particularly competitive, with BJP winning all three positions by just one vote each. Anil Kumar Tyagi narrowly defeated AAP’s Ajeet Singh Yadav, while Rekha won against Gagan Chaudhary, and BJP leader Raja Iqbal Singh edged out Promila Gupta.
In Karol Bagh, AAP’s Rakesh Joshi was elected unopposed as chairman, with Jyoti Gautam and Ankush Narang securing the deputy chairman and standing committee member roles, respectively. Similarly, in the City SP Zone, AAP’s Mohd Sadiq, Kiran Bala, and Punardeep Singh Sawhney were elected unopposed. In Shahdara North, AAP supported Congress candidates for Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, but cross-voting led to BJP securing the chairperson post.
Why the upper hand in the Standing Committee matters?
The Standing Committee of the MCD is composed of 18 members — six directly elected from the MCD House and 12 chosen from the municipal zones of Delhi. Following the recent elections, the BJP holds nine seats in the Standing Committee, while AAP has eight. Despite AAP’s majority in the 250-member MCD House with 128 councillors, BJP’s upper hand in the Standing Committee could allow it to exercise significant administrative and financial powers, particularly in approving projects worth ₹5 crore.
No proposal can be presented to the MCD House unless it has been approved by the Standing Committee. This essentially means that the committee has the authority to filter and shape the issues that the House, led by the Mayor, can discuss and decide upon.
BJP attributed success to ‘AAP’s inaction’
Raja Iqbal Singh, BJP Councillor and Leader of Opposition in the MCD, attributed the party’s success to AAP’s inaction over the past two years. “No work was done by the MCD over the last two years, which is why all councillors voted unanimously for the BJP,” Singh said. “This victory is crucial for the people of Delhi, as all projects were dependent on the Standing Committee.”
Confusion reigned until late Tuesday, with Mayor Shelly Oberoi initially refusing to appoint presiding officers, citing concerns over an “undemocratic election process” and insufficient notice. However, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar overruled her, ensuring that the polling proceeded as scheduled.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva added, “AAP, which has stalled the development works of the MCD for almost 20 months, should now accept defeat and allow BJP’s Standing Committee members to be elected as Chairman.”
