BJP 117, AAP 113: AAP quits mayoral contest alleging unfair play, BJP’s Raja Iqbal Singh likely to take charge

NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, AAP declared on Monday it was withdrawing from the mayoral election, effectively allowing BJP an easy victory. Despite gaining a majority in the MCD elections in 2022 and winning the mayoral elections for three terms, the party refused to contest the election, citing a systematic denial of fair electoral opportunity and non-cooperation by the executive.
It condemned what it called horse-trading and unethical electoral practices.

Delhi BJP has nominated Raja Iqbal Singh as its candidate for mayor and Jai Bhagwan Yadav for deputy mayor. Both filed nominations at the municipal secretary’s office on Monday for the elections scheduled for April 25. Monday was the last day for filing nominations.
Raja Iqbal Singh, a secondterm councillor from Mukherjee Nagar, had served as mayor in the erstwhile north corporation. He is currently leader of the opposition.
Yadav, who is deputy leader of opposition, is from Begumpur and is also serving a second term.
MCD received four nominations for the seat of mayor and deputy mayor. Besides BJP’s candidates, Congress also put forward its nominees with Mandeep Singh filing for mayor and Ariba Khan for deputy mayor. Mandeep Singh represents Nangloi ward and Ariba Khan Abul Fazal Enclave,” said MCD in a statement.
After filing his nomination, Raja Iqbal Singh said their priority will be to accelerate work on all pending projects and areas where work was halted for the past two-and-a-half years. “Intensive drives will be carried out to improve sanitation and condition of parks, schools and health sectors. It will be ensured that corruption is ended. As far as the financial crisis in MCD is concerned, BJP has govts in state and Centre, so we are expecting to get funds, which will improve our financial health,” he said.
Singh belongs to a family which has deep Akali Dal connections. His father-in-law was a councillor from GTB Nagar constituency while his brother-in-law was active in Akali politics. Serving as the Akali Dal councillor from GTB Nagar and heading the Civil Lines zone of the corporation till Sept 2020, Singh chose to stay back when the Akalis withdrew from NDA over the farm legislation.
Nine months later, BJP appointed him as the north corporation mayor. It was during that time that he implemented the controversial demolition campaign in Jahangirpuri after the 2020 communal riots.
After announcing the candidates' names, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that soon Delhi will have a BJP mayor and a triple-engine govt and that streamlined municipal services will resume. “AAP’s announcement of not contesting the MCD elections is not political sacrifice but an early admission of definite defeat. Most of the councillors elected with a majority on AAP tickets in 2022 came with high hopes and a strong sense of responsibility towards the public.
However, the AAP leadership did not allow the corporation to be fully constituted for twoand-a-half years, which brought all its developmental, maintenance and administrative functions to a standstill,” he said.
AAP's prospects in the mayoral election were already bleak as the number of BJP councillors had increased from 104 in 2022 to 117 in 2025. The number of AAP councillors, meanwhile, reduced from 134 in 2022 to 113. Congress has just eight seats and its chances of winning the election are virtually nil.
The mayoral election process involves an electoral college of 250 councillors (238 active now because 12 seats have fallen vacant after assembly and Lok Sabha polls), 10 MPs (seven from Lok Sabha and three from Rajya Sabha) and 14 MLAs. These MLAs – 11 from BJP and three from AAP – have been nominated by the assembly speaker.
With additional support from the seven LS members of their own party and their 11 MLAs, BJP has a total of 135 members in comparison to 119 members of AAP — including three MLAs and three Rajya Sabha members — in MCD.