AAP may lose MCD standing due to councillor exodus, say stakeholders

Of the 15 councillors who have quit the AAP, three are from the South zone, four from the West zone, two from the Narela zone, and one from the Rohini, Shahdara South and Civil Lines zones

The recent exodus of a 15-strong contingent of councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to set up a new political outfit Indraprashta Vikas Party (IVP), poses a multiplicity of issues for the AAP, according to officials and stakeholders, who cited diluted party footprint on key committees and panels of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

BJP members wave the victory sign upon sweeping the recent mayoral elections. (PTI)

Coming ahead of the elections to the standing committee—it controls the MCD’s purse strings—and wards committees—overarching panels in 12 administrative zones—stakeholders said the new third front may affect the AAP’s prospects in the South, West and Rohini zones, and also reduce its hold on other strongholds.

A senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on condition of anonymity, said the party had just a potential two-member advantage in the 18-member standing committee, given election to a few seats were sub judice. “This formation of third front will increase the margin and consolidate the (BJP’s) hold over the corporations key bodies,” the leader said.

Of the 15 councillors who have quit the AAP, three are from the South zone, four from the West zone, two from the Narela zone, and one from the Rohini, Shahdara South and Civil Lines zones.

The development comes within weeks of the BJP reclaiming control of the MCD and Raja Iqbal Singh winning the mayoral election, against the backdrop of the AAP’s boycott of the polls. In the 2022 municipal polls, the AAP won 134 seats, and the BJP 104 seats. However, since then, there have been multiple defections to the BJP and the AAP won its last mayoral polls, in 2024, by three votes, indicating its decreasing control.

A senior municipal official, not wishing to be named, said 15 of 18 standing committee members are in place—six from AAP and nine from BJP. Three seats were vacated by councillors who won the Delhi assembly elections in February—BJP’s Mundka councillor Gajendra Daral, AAP’s Chandni Chowk and Ambedkar Nagar councillors Purandeep Sawhney and Prem Chauhan, respectively.

MCD officials also said it was unclear whether Raja Iqbal Singh, upon being elected the mayor, would continue to be a part of the standing committee or vote in the elections if he decides to step down.

Each of the 12 MCD zones has a wards committee headed by a chairperson to decentralise the administrative set-up. Each ward committee elects a member of the standing committee. In September 2024, BJP won seven of 12 zonal polls, and the AAP five.

“Of the 12 ward committees, the AAP is now in a comfortable position to elect the chairperson and deputy chairperson in only two ward committees. In the remaining 10 panels, the BJP has either crossed the majority mark or is close to the majority. When elections are held, the role of councillors of the third front will be important. The third front can play a decisive role in many zones,” the municipal official said.

The official said that the BJP is close to securing the lead in the South zone, which comprises 23 councillors, of whom six are from the BJP and 10 are from the AAP. “One councillor is from the Congress, and three councillors are from the third front. In the last zonal elections, five AAP councillors in this zone rebelled and voted for the BJP candidate. The BJP is very close to taking over this crucial zone; even a walkout can aid the party,” the official said.

Similarly, in the 25-member-strong West zone, the AAP has 11 councillors, the BJP has eight councillors and the third front has four councillors and may cast the decisive vote. In the 23-member-strong Rohini zone, the AAP has 11, BJP nine, and Congress and IVP one each.