BJP leader elected MCD Standing Committee chief for 2nd consecutive term

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) key decision-making body became fully functional on Monday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Satya Sharma was re-elected unopposed as chairperson of the Standing Committee, ending a four-month deadlock that had stalled several key civic approvals

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) key decision-making body became fully functional on Monday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Satya Sharma was re-elected unopposed as chairperson of the Standing Committee, ending a four-month deadlock that had stalled several key civic approvals.

Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma along with Deputy Chairperson Satyapal Singh. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

BJP’s Karawal Nagar West councillor Satyapal Singh was also elected unopposed as the deputy chairperson at the Civic Centre headquarters on Minto Road on Monday.

The election completes the 18-member Standing Committee, which is mandated to approve all municipal projects, contracts, policy decisions, and financial proposals exceeding ₹5 crore, besides auditing functions. The panel had not met since March, as both posts had remained vacant after the expiry of the previous tenure.

Following the election, Sharma thanked the BJP leadership for reposing faith in her for a second consecutive term and outlined her key priorities -- sanitation, solid waste management, strengthening healthcare services, improving civic schools, technology-driven governance, and financial consolidation of the corporation.

She also assured that councillors from both the ruling party and the Opposition would be given equal opportunities to raise issues in the committee, and that public interest would remain paramount in its functioning.

While the BJP has a majority in the MCD, the election for the two posts was delayed for over four months amid organisational changes within the Delhi BJP, such as the appointment of a new state president and restructuring of the party leadership, councillors said.

Notably, for nearly two years after the 2022 civic polls, the Standing Committee remained incomplete due to a political tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP over the election of its members.

Sharma added that the committee would prioritise the time-bound implementation of development projects and welfare schemes announced in the previous municipal budget. Referring to the BJP governments at the Centre, Delhi, and the MCD, she claimed that “better coordination had accelerated civic works and ensured timely release of funds, enabling the corporation to pay salaries to employees” and “speed up development projects across the city.”