Fri Apr 25 20:02:44 UTC 2025: ## BJP Reclaims Delhi Mayoral Seat After Thumping Victory

**NEW DELHI –** The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has returned to power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after its candidate, Raja Iqbal Singh, won the mayoral election on Friday. Singh secured a landslide victory with 133 out of 142 votes, defeating Congress candidate Mandeep Singh. Following the win, Jai Bhagwan Yadav was appointed Deputy Mayor.

The BJP’s win marks a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which lost its 15-year hold on the MCD in December 2022. AAP’s decision not to field a candidate in this election, following internal defections, contributed to their defeat. The win also signifies the establishment of what Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva calls a “triple engine” government in Delhi, referring to the BJP’s control of the MCD, the Delhi state government, and the central government.

Newly elected Mayor Singh outlined his priorities, including forming the MCD’s Standing Committee within a month, addressing pollution and corruption, and improving park maintenance. He also announced the revocation of user charges related to door-to-door garbage collection, a controversial policy implemented under the AAP administration. Singh pledged to remove garbage dumps and improve Delhi’s sanitation.

While BJP leaders celebrated the victory and its implications for the city’s development, AAP’s Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged the BJP to deliver on its promises, stating that the public would assess their performance within a month. The MCD’s Standing Committee, its main decision-making body, had been stalled since last September due to legal challenges. The new leadership plans to resolve this issue.

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