Raja Iqbal Singh is new Delhi mayor. How BJP essayed easy win over Congress in AAP's absence

BJP's Raja Iqbal Singh was elected as the new mayor of Delhi on Friday. Iqbal Singh defeated Congress candidate Mandeep Singh as BJP returned to power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after two years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had boycotted the mayoral election.

 

Raja Iqbal Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the MCD and earlier served as the Mayor of North MCD. He hails from a family with strong Akali Dal connections. His father-in-law was a councillor from the GTB Nagar constituency, and his brother-in-law was also active in Akali politics.

 

 

Raja Iqbal Singh emerged victorious securing 133 out of 142 votes polled. The BJP lost two votes due to the absence of MP Manoj Tiwari, while one vote was declared invalid. The BJP has 117 councillors in MCD while the AAP has 113. The Congress has just eight.  There are 238 incumbent councillors while 12 seats are vacant.

 

 

 

"We will try to form the Standing Committee within a month and work in coordination with the Delhi government to ensure people face no problems. Our priorities include making parks greener, curbing corruption and pollution, and scrapping user charges immediately," Iqbal Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

 

He said the party will "motivate" teachers, provide funds for students' uniforms, and improve school infrastructure.

 

"The people of Delhi have shown faith in Prime Minister Modi and the BJP We are committed to serving the city through the MCD and delivering on our promises. All eligible contractual workers under BMP will be regularised as per rules," he said.

 

 

 

Iqbal Singh too served as an Akali Dal councillor from GTB Nagar and headed the Civil Lines Zone of the corporation until September 2020. 

 

The electoral college for the mayoral election includes these 238 councillors, 10 MPs -- seven from the Lok Sabha and three from the Rajya Sabha -- and 14 MLAs -- 11 from the BJP and 3 from the AAP being nominated by Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. reports said.

 

India