After months of procedural setbacks, the long-delayed election for the positions of the mayor and deputy mayor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been set for November 14.
Incumbent mayor Shelly Oberoi authorised the decision to hold a special meeting to address the election, which has been on hold since April. This decision, made public through a notice from the municipal secretary, announced that the meeting will occur at the Civic Centre at 2 pm, with additional monthly meetings scheduled for the same day to address pending MCD matters.
The procedural delays can be traced back to the requirement for inputs from Delhi’s chief minister (CM) before appointing a presiding officer for the election. This requirement led to an impasse in April when Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena refused to appoint a presiding officer without CM Arvind Kejriwal’s input, citing it as a necessity under the protocol. At that time, Kejriwal was in Tihar Jail on charges related to the state excise policy, adding to the complexity of the situation. This administrative standoff left the MCD’s executive positions unfilled, with Oberoi, originally elected in February 2023, extending her term as mayor.
The MCD’s bylaws stipulate that the third year of the five-year municipal term is reserved for a candidate from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, a factor that has shaped both major parties’ strategies. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already announced their nominees for the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions. AAP’s choice for mayor is Mahesh Khichi from Dev Nagar, with Ravinder Bhardwaj from Aman Vihar for deputy mayor. Meanwhile, the BJP has put forward Kishan Lal from Shakurpur as their candidate for mayor and Neeta Bisht from Sadatpur for deputy mayor.
The prolonged delay has stirred criticism, particularly from the BJP. Raja Iqbal Singh, the leader of the opposition in the MCD House, has alleged that AAP deliberately postponed the mayoral election, preventing a candidate from the Dalit community from assuming office. He claimed this delay would be remembered by the Dalit community, as the new mayor—
if elected from the SC category—will now serve only a truncated five-month term instead of a full year. AAP, however, has defended its record, countering that it has consistently worked in the interests of the Dalit community. The party further alleged that it was the BJP’s actions that had deprived the Dalit community of its rights.
In October, a previous attempt by municipal bureaucrats to hold the mayoral election was halted when Oberoi rejected their proposal,prompting both parties to intensify their campaigns in anticipation of the rescheduled election. Following Oberoi’s recent nod, the election plan will now be submitted to the LG through the urban development department for final approval, incorporating any additional input from the CM’s office.
With nearly seven months of the third year already elapsed, whoever is elected will have a shortened term, tasked with navigating municipal responsibilities and ongoing inter-party tensions. This election holds weight not only for the candidates but also for the MCD’s functionality, as the newly elected officials will oversee key decisions for the civic body during their limited tenure.
Changing Political Landscape in the House
Since the deferred elections in April, the political dynamic in the MCD House has changed significantly in favour of the BJP. In the MCD elections held in December 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won an outright majority, winning 134 seats in the 250-member house. Meanwhile, the BJP won 104 seats and the Congress won 9.
Since then, constant defections have slowly whittled down AAP’s strength. On August 25, five of the party’s councillors mass defected to the BJP. Commenting on the defections, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “These leaders have joined us today as they were not happy with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s performance. They were inspired by the developmental work done for the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They were fed up with the way the AAP was putting hurdles in Delhi’s development as well.”
On September 25, just a day before the crucial election to elect the last member of the civic body’s standing committee, more councillors switched their allegiance to the saffron party. One of the defectors, Behen Preeti, a four-time councillor said, “I joined Kejriwal and his party believing they wanted to do something different, but now I was forced to quit the AAP as a different atmosphere exists there, and it became unbearable for me.”
She also criticised Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and her local MLA, alleging that the ruling party failed to address civic concerns such as drainage issues and water supply problems. “Nobody in the ruling party in Delhi listened if anyone raised grievances of people like drains and dirty water supply,” she said. On the other hand, AAP has repeatedly accused the BJP of poaching its councillors.
As a result of these defections, AAP now has just 124 councillors in the house, short of the majority of 126, while the BJP has 115. Consequently, the upcoming Mayoral elections are no longer a sure shot for the AAP and have the potential to swing either way.
BJP’s capture of the crucial standing committee
The BJP has also made inroads in the MCD by winning crucial seats in the body’s standing committee. The Standing Committee is a pivotal body within the civic body, wielding significant financial and administrative powers essential to the corporation’s functioning. With authority over major expenditures and the approval of substantial proposals, the committee’s decisions shape the civic body’s operations.
It comprises 18 members, with six elected directly from the MCD House and 12 chosen by councillors from the city’s 12 zones, ensuring each area of Delhi has representation.
As the main decision-making authority, the Standing Committee reviews all proposals before they reach the House, which is led by the mayor. If a proposal is rejected by the committee, it cannot proceed to the House, effectively allowing the committee to control the MCD’s legislative agenda.
The chairperson of the Standing Committee, chosen from its members, is often more influential than the mayor in terms of real authority. While the mayor functions as the ceremonial head, the chairperson oversees the MCD’s day-to-day operations, deciding which proposals advance. Working in tandem with senior officials like the MCD commissioner, the chairperson addresses key administrative and financial issues through weekly meetings.
The election process for Standing Committee members is split between the six members elected from the House and the 12 members elected from the zones. The House members are chosen through a proportional representation system, similar to the Rajya Sabha, where each member needs a minimum of 38 preference votes to secure a seat. These members serve two-year terms, with half of them retiring each year.
The election of zone representatives, however, follows a simpler process. These representatives are elected by general voting from among their councillor colleagues within their respective zones and serve one-year terms.
On September 4, the MCD finally held the long-awaited and crucial polls to elect members of its 12 ward committees. This election was the first since the unification of the previously trifurcated MCD in 2022. The vote was delayed due to a prolonged political deadlock between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP, eventually becoming a matter of legal contention.
At the end of the day-long process, which took place without any incidents, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came out on top, winning seven of the 12 zones, edging past the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which won in the remaining five zones. The Congress, which has just nine councillors in the house, drew a blank in the elections.
On September 27, the BJP also managed to clinch the last remaining seat in the standing committee that had been left vacant since the departure of Kamaljeet Sehrawat, now Member of Parliament (MP) for West Delhi.
This election was held under unusual circumstances after councillors from both the AAP and Congress boycotted the elections. As a result, the BJP now holds 10 of the 18 seats in the standing committee and is in line to elect the chairman of the committee.
Financial Gridlock and delayed projects
The incoming Mayor will have a host of issues to deal with, especially given the fact that the standing committee has not yet started functioning and lacks a chairman.
The MCD has been operating without a Standing Committee for the past two years, a gap that has seriously disrupted the corporation’s financial operations. Typically, any expenditure over Rs 5 crore requires approval from this crucial body, while decisions up to Rs 5 crore fall under the municipal commissioner’s jurisdiction. Without the committee, essential projects and services have been left without the necessary funding and oversight.
In response to this situation, Mayor Shelly Oberoi petitioned the Supreme Court in January, requesting that the MCD House temporarily assume the Standing Committee’s functions until the committee is “properly and legally constituted.”
This plea is still pending in the apex court, leaving the MCD without an immediate solution.
The absence of a Standing Committee has caused delays in numerous civic projects, from waste management and landfill operations to funding for MCD-run schools and hospitals. Recognising the mounting impact, the lieutenant governor (LG)’s office, on April 27, issued a statement noting that Urban Development Minister
Saurabh Bhardwaj has delayed acting on a proposal to temporarily extend the municipal commissioner’s financial powers from Rs 5 crore to Rs 25 crore. The LG endorsed this proposal after learning that MCD functions—particularly waste disposal, public health and education services—were being hindered due to the lack of a Standing Committee.
However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has expressed reservations over the LG’s proposal. According to AAP, expanding the commissioner’s financial authority to include projects over Rs 5 crore would remove accountability to the elected MCD House, potentially allowing for unchecked decision-making without oversight by elected officials.
Due to this administrative standoff, numerous essential services and projects remain stalled. Key areas impacted include the procurement of textbooks for schools, medical supplies for healthcare facilities and maintenance of public parks, toilets and other amenities. Without the Standing Committee’s oversight, critical civic needs remain unmet, affecting the daily lives of Delhi residents.