AAP withdraws from Delhi mayoral elections, accuses BJP of undemocratic tactics to gain control of MCD
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Monday announced that it will not field candidates for the upcoming mayor and standing committee elections in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The mayoral elections are set to be held on April 25. The AAP accused the BJP of resorting to undemocratic tactics to wrest control of the civic body, despite losing the popular mandate in the December 2022 elections.
The BJP now has 117 seats in the MCD Assembly after several defections from other parties, while the AAP has 113. The Congress has eight, and 12 councillors have been elected as MPs, leaving their seats vacant.
AAP's Delhi convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj described the BJP as desperate in their need to cling to power in Delhi, and accused it of manipulating democratic processes. 'We have been witnessing the BJP's desperation for power in Delhi for many years now,' he said.
'In March 2022, just before the MCD elections were to be announced at 5 pm, the Centre and the L-G office stalled the State Election Commission's press conference. They asked that elections not be held immediately and demanded that delimitation be carried out first. Their only goal was to delay elections because they knew they would lose badly.'
Bharadwaj alleged that the delimitation exercise was strategically skewed. 'Each and every ward was carved to benefit the BJP. AAP strongholds were merged into one ward, while BJP-dominated areas were broken into multiple smaller wards to increase their count. Despite this, when elections were finally held on December 4, AAP still won 134 seats, while the BJP managed only 104.'
Recalling the chaos during the mayoral and standing committee elections, he said, 'The situation became so ugly that microphones were broken, slogans were shouted, and even the mayor was attacked. The Supreme Court had to intervene and clarify that nominated aldermen cannot vote in mayoral elections. The BJP was exposed before the country.'
Leader of Opposition Atishi accused the BJP of undermining democracy through coercion and manipulation. 'Wherever the BJP loses elections — whether it is Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, or Maharashtra — they try to form governments through the backdoor using all possible means: money, muscle, manipulation,' she said.
Atishi also criticised the last-minute delimitation ahead of the 2022 MCD elections, which reduced the number of wards from 272 to 250.
'This was done to delay the elections and schedule them on the same dates as the Gujarat Assembly polls, where AAP was also contesting — clearly to weaken our campaign in both states.'
Despite AAP securing a majority, Atishi claimed the BJP continued attempts to destabilise the party's control in the MCD. 'Their every effort to break our councillors failed — until recently. After persistent pressure, they have now managed to get a majority in the MCD House.'
Explaining why the AAP is stepping back from the mayoral race, she said, 'To win now, we would have to indulge in the same kind of politics — breaking and buying councillors — and that is not what we stand for. We refuse to be a part of that game.'
'Now that they have their 'triple-engine sarkar' — at the Centre, the state, and now in the MCD — we expect them to fulfil all their promises. The AAP will continue to be a strong and vigilant Opposition in the MCD, just as we are in the Delhi Assembly.'
The BJP meanwhile announced its candidates for the mayoral elections: Raja Iqbal Singh, Leader of Opposition at the MCD Assembly; and Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Deputy Leader of Opposition, respectively, for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.
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