MCD Standing Committee election: BJP’s Sharma, Singh emerge victors
New Delhi: The election for the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was held on Thursday. Satya Sharma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected as Chairperson, while Sunder Singh, also from the BJP, was elected Vice-Chairperson.
The 18-member committee voted during the session. Satya Sharma won 11 votes, defeating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Praveen Kumar, who got 7 votes. For the Vice-Chairperson’s post, Sunder Singh also received 11 votes, while his AAP opponent Mohini Jeenwal got 7.
Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh presided over the election. After announcing the results, he congratulated both Sharma and Singh. He said that with the committee now formed, the corporation can start working towards development goals.
This election marks the return of full institutional control of the MCD to the BJP. In April, the party had also won the mayoral post, reversing AAP’s win in the 2022 civic polls. With Sharma’s election as Chairperson of the Standing Committee—a key financial body—BJP now controls the main decision-making arms of the corporation.
The Standing Committee plays a vital role in the functioning of the MCD. It approves all projects that cost more than Rs 5 crore. The absence of a committee for the last two-and-a-half years had delayed many decisions, especially on sanitation and infrastructure.
After her win, Sharma thanked the members who supported her. She said, “no development work was done in the past two and a half years, but now positive steps will be taken.” She promised to work with dedication and make Delhi cleaner and better.
A three-time councillor, Sharma represents the Gautampuri ward. She has served in various leadership roles in the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). In 2017, she was Mayor of East Delhi and played a part in launching the 7.8-MW waste-to-energy plant in Shastri Park. She has earlier chaired the ethics, education, and building committees.
Sharma has also been a central figure in past MCD disputes. In 2023, her nomination as Presiding Officer during the first House sitting sparked protests from the AAP.
The party claimed it broke tradition, where the seniormost councillor usually gets the role, triggering a BJP-AAP standoff. Now, with the BJP-led Standing Committee in place, civic projects are set to resume.
Sharma also condoled the Ahmedabad plane crash, leading a two-minute silence in the House.
