Sat Feb 15 10:31:23 UTC 2025: **Delhi BJP Gains Ground Ahead of Mayoral Election: Three AAP Councilors Defect**

NEW DELHI, February 15, 2025 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi received a significant boost on Saturday with the defection of three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilors. Anita Basoya (Andrews Ganj), Nikhil Chaprana (Hari Nagar), and Dharamvir (R K Puram) joined the BJP, strengthening its position in the upcoming MCD mayoral election scheduled for April.

Delhi BJP president, [Name of BJP president not provided in the text], welcomed the councilors, highlighting the move as a step towards establishing a “triple-engine” government—at the Centre, state assembly, and municipal levels—to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India. The BJP’s recent victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, securing 48 out of 70 seats, paved the way for this strategic push for the mayoral seat.

The BJP now holds a higher number of votes than the AAP in the mayoral election, exceeding the AAP’s previous three-vote victory in November 2024. This advantage is further amplified by the BJP’s seven Lok Sabha MPs, ten nominated MLAs to the MCD, and the defection of the three councilors. In contrast, the AAP has three Rajya Sabha MPs and four nominated MLAs for the MCD.

The defections follow the February 5th Assembly elections where eight BJP councilors and three AAP councilors were elected to the Assembly. The 2022 MCD polls saw the AAP win 134 wards, BJP 104, Congress nine, and Independents three. The mayoral election is expected to be highly competitive.

Read More