AAP withdraws from race for Mayor, Deputy Mayor posts

New Delhi: The AAP on Monday announced that it will not contest the upcoming elections for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The polls are scheduled to be held on April 25.

Addressing a press conference, former Delhi chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, said, “The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will play the role of a strong opposition in the MCD as well. BJP did a lot of rigging during the MCD elections but still it lost badly. Even after this, it did not stop and all the councillors were poached.” She said her party does not believe in the “politics of sabotage and horse-trading” and has, therefore, decided not to participate in the mayoral contest.

“Now the BJP should form its triple engine government and fulfil its promises made to the people of Delhi without any excuses,” Atishi said.

AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, who was also present at the press conference, accused the BJP of indulging in malpractice during the delimitation process. “The BJP had stopped the MCD election earlier too. Wards were shifted during delimitation. There was huge fraud and corruption during the process. Despite this, BJP lost the election and AAP formed the government,” Bharadwaj said.

He also alleged that BJP councillors have tried to disrupt MCD meetings.

“After much drama by BJP councillors and ongoing defections, we have decided not to field our candidate this time,” he said.

The BJP’s current strength in the MCD has increased to 119 following multiple defections from the AAP over the past few months. Both MPs and MLAs nominated to the MCD are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.

According to a notice issued by the MCD Secretary’s Office, the corporation will hold its ordinary meeting on April 25, with the elections for mayor and deputy mayor scheduled for 2 pm.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta slammed the AAP for conceding defeat and deciding to abstain from the April 25 Mayoral elections, claiming the decision appeared linked to infighting and fear of political embarrassment.

“Today, AAP councillors and leaders are upset with their own leaders. The party is fast losing ground in Delhi, and people don’t trust them anymore,” she said.

CM Gupta also hit out at the AAP for adopting double standards on election outcomes. “If they win any election, they trumpet it as a sign of their popularity. If they lose an election, then they start blaming the EVM and the entire system,” said CM Gupta on the sidelines of an event.

In the previous election in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the AAP won 134 wards, the BJP was victorious in 104, and the Congress and Independents secured only 12. However, the party-wise situation in the MCD House has changed after a dozen councillors’ election to the Parliament and the Delhi Assembly.

At present, the House has 125 AAP councillors, 115 BJP, nine Congress and one Independent. During the last Mayoral elections, Mahesh Khichi of the AAP won by a slender margin due to cross-voting by AAP councillors. Earlier, speaking to mediapersons at the inauguration of Sankalp Girls Hostel at Dhirpur in Adarsh Nagar for civil services aspirants, CM Gupta highlighted the importance of education in women-led development.

“The greatest donation is the donation of education. And when it comes to the top educational field like UPSC preparation, if someone is being supported in that, there can be nothing greater,” she said, highlighting the objective of the hostel to support women civil aspirants.

“This project needs to be expanded further. The reach that Sankalp already has, across the country, should be extended. Through this platform, I once again want to thank our Prime Minister, who has always emphasised women-led-development and women-led-government,” she said.