Prithvi Raj Sawhney new Mayor of Delhi

Prithvi Raj Sawhney, a councillor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a former teacher, was elected today as the Mayor of Delhi, defeating Tulsi Ram Sablania of Congress by 90 votes.

Prithvi Raj Sawhney, a councillor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a former teacher, was elected on Friday as the Mayor of Delhi, defeating Tulsi Ram Sablania of Congress by 90 votes.

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While Sawhney, who represents Janak Puri (South) ward in the MCD House, secured 178 votes, Congress candidate and East Patel Nagar councillor Sablania managed 88 votes in the elections held during a MCD meeting.

Bahujan Samaj Party's Hari Chand Kardam withdrew before the race.

Sawhney will be the 24th Mayor of the city and will replace incumbent Kanwar Sain, also a BJP councillor.

The BJP has an overwhelming majority in the 272-member MCD House, the strength of which has come down to 271 after the Majnu Ka Tila seat held by BJP's Satish Kumar was declared vacant by the Delhi High Court. The strength of BJP is 172, followed by Congress (73), BSP (16) and Independents (10).

Fourteen MLAs and eight MPs are also eligible to vote in the Mayoral election.

Sawhney, who was the Chairman of MCD's Education Committee, was also a councillor from 1997-2000 and held important posts including that of Chairman of MCD Standing Committee, Conservancy, Sanitation and Engineering Committee as well as Health Committee.

He taught in Jammu College and schools of the Directorate of Education for 30 years. He has been the president of Delhi Adhyapak Parishad.