BJP realises its ‘triple-engine sarkar' dreams as Raja Iqbal Singh becomes Delhi mayor
In the mayoral elections on Friday, Raja Iqbal Singh secured 133 of the total 142 votes, and his opponent and Congress candidate Mandeep received eight votes.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Raja Iqbal Singh is the new mayor of Delhi, with the BJP reclaiming power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after a gap of three years.
The BJP ruled over the MCD from 2007 to 2022. As the civic body split into three between 2012 and 2022, the party went on to hold power over three separate corporations, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).
On 22 May 2022, the BJP-led Union government unified the three corporations. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious in the 2022 civic body elections.
Soon after his election, Raja Iqbal Singh said that the primary goal of the BJP-led MCD would be to improve Delhi's sanitation system.
'We will ensure the removal of the mountains of garbage; we will also solve the waterlogging problems and provide all basic and necessary facilities to the people of Delhi. We will all work together, with full dedication, and work hard,' he told the media.
Before the election, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said that AAP had decided not to field a candidate this time. 'BJP should elect its own Mayor; BJP should form its own standing committee and rule Delhi without any excuses,' he told media persons.
Speaking to ThePrint, Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva said the party's responsibility has increased, but the BJP would ensure Delhi sees 'only development' now.
'Our responsibility has increased. It is a triple-engine government now. Right from the Centre, state, and municipal level today, the BJP is in power. Over the past two years, corruption has increased at the municipal level under the AAP. Now, we have to ensure development. The Delhi government and the MCD will work in tandem and get all the support required from the Centre,' said Virendraa Sachdeva.
'With the election of a BJP mayor and deputy mayor in the MCD, the way has been paved for the smooth functioning of the corporation's administration and citizen services. The new mayor will soon initiate the formation of the MCD standing committee (highest decision-making body) so that once again, financial and administrative decisions follow the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957,' he added.
'To this end, the newly elected mayor will ensure the swift formation of the MCD standing committee so that the people of Delhi can start experiencing the benefits of a 'triple-engine' government as soon as possible,' he said.
According to a BJP leader, though it is a 'triple-engine' government, the focus will also be on the party's performance now.
'Waterlogging and ensuring clean air will have to be our priority. It would get difficult. AAP will try to shift the blame squarely on us now because we have a BJP government at the Centre, state and municipal levels. We would have to ensure we do our bit,' he said.
While the BJP earlier nominated Raja Iqbal Singh as its nominee for the mayoral post, it nominated Jai Bhagwan for the deputy mayor post.
Bhagwan was elected unopposed after the Congress nominee withdrew his candidacy.
The current strength of the MCD is 238. Since the election of some councillors to the assembly, 12 seats have been vacant.
Of the 250 seats, the BJP has 113, up from 104 in 2022. The AAP has only 116, down from 134. The Congress has eight. One councillor is Independent.
The electoral college for the mayoral election includes 238 councillors, 10 MPs (seven from the Lok Sabha and three from the Rajya Sabha), and 14 MLAs.
Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta had nominated 11 BJP and three AAP MLAs as the electors this time.
The BJP lost the MCD after 15 years in 2022, when the AAP bagged 134 of 250 wards. At the time, the BJP won 104 wards, the Congress nine, and the Independents three.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Congress's CWC attacks BJP for 'exploiting' Pahalgam terror attack, says Hindus deliberately targeted
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