NEW DELHI: With the MCD mayoral elections approaching, both the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP are strategising to secure victories for their respective candidates.
Sources said the BJP is planning to field councillors with prior experience in holding top positions within the civic body. This comes as several senior councillors from the party were recently elected as MLAs in the Delhi Assembly elections.
AAP is likely to nominate its sitting mayor and deputy mayor again. Both belong to reserved categories, and the party believes this move could lead to cross-voting in its favour. Meanwhile, several names from both parties are being discussed, as April 21 is the last date for nominations. The election is scheduled for April 25.
From the BJP, key contenders include Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal, Sandeep Kapoor, Yogesh Verma, Jai Bhagwan, and Parvesh Wahi. In AAP, Mahesh Kichi may contest again. Additionally, the Leader of House and six-time councillor Mukesh Goel, along with Ankush Narang and Sarika Choudhary, are also likely candidates. These individuals are regarded as senior leaders due to their past roles in either the party or the Corporation.
Despite its loss in the 2022 MCD elections, the BJP is now in a position to form the government. The party aims to select candidates who can effectively challenge AAP during the upcoming term. There is also a strong possibility that the BJP will secure the Standing Committee chairperson position, which oversees MCD’s finances. For this reason, some councillors may be kept out of the mayoral race to be reserved for key committee roles.
“The party is carefully selecting candidates for the mayor and deputy mayor posts. Most senior councillors like Rekha Gupta, Ravinder Negi, Shikha Roy, and Poonam Sharma have become MLAs, so we are focusing on leaders who can ensure victory and efficiently handle AAP in daily operations,” said a BJP source.