AAP announces candidates for Delhi mayoral elections scheduled for April 26

AAP’s East Patel Nagar councillor Shelly Oberoi was elected as mayor in the previous two elections held in February and April 2023

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday declared Dev Nagar councillor Mahesh Kumar Khichi (45) and Aman Vihar councillor Ravinder Bhardwaj (35) as the party’s mayor and deputy mayor candidates, respectively, for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections scheduled to be held on April 26.

Visuals from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi at Civic Centre in December 2023. (Raj K Raj/ HT Photo)

Dev Nagar ward is in Karol Bagh, while Aman Vihar ward is in Kirari. Bhardwaj is a second time councillor and has earlier been a standing committee member. The post of mayor is reserved for Scheduled Caste councillors in this election cycle.

AAP’s East Patel Nagar councillor Shelly Oberoi was elected as mayor in the previous two elections held in February and April 2023. The MCD mayor is elected for a one-year term.

Making the announcement, AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai said that the two candidates will carry forward the work done by Oberoi and that the people of Delhi have ousted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from MCD. “After the Chandigarh mayoral polls, we have seen how BJP is capable of stealing votes. We are ready to face all their tricks,” Rai said.

The party’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said that both Khichi and Bhardwaj have been associated with the party since its initial days. “We are hopeful that they will carry forward the development works done by their predecessor,” Pathak said.

The electoral college for electing a mayor comprises 250 councillors, seven Lok Sabha members from Delhi, three Rajya Sabha MPs and 14 MLAs nominated by the Delhi legislative assembly speaker, while 10 aldermen do not have voting powers in the house proceedings.

The AAP has a support of 134 councillors, and one Independent, three Rajya Sabha members and 13 MLAs. The opposition BJP claims support of 104 councillors and one Independent, seven Lok Sabha members and one MLA. Congress has nine councillors and another councillor is independent. Cross voting is permitted in these elections and anti-defection laws do not apply.

In the February 2023 election, AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi had received 150 votes against BJP’s Rekha Gupta who received 116 votes. In April, Oberoi was elected unopposed as BJP candidate Shikha Roy withdrew nomination at the last moment.