Why BJP’s triple-engine sarkar may struggle in Delhi despite mayoral poll sweep

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has solidified its dominance over Delhi’s civic governance, with Raja Iqbal Singh elected Mayor and Jai Bhagwan Yadav elected Deputy Mayor. The sweeping victory, securing 133 of 142 votes, fulfils the BJP’s ambitious “triple engine” vision, aligning the Centre, Delhi state and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under its leadership.

However, the new administration faces a labyrinth of challenges — crippling financial deficits, decaying civic infrastructure, environmental crises, and the politically charged task of forming a fully functional MCD Standing Committee.

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotting the polls and vowing to challenge the BJP’s governance, the road ahead promises intense scrutiny and high stakes for Delhi’s future.

Resounding victory

Singh, a veteran BJP leader, defeated Congress candidate Mandeep Singh, who garnered only eight votes, with one vote invalidated. Yadav secured the deputy mayor post unopposed after Congress’ Ariba Khan withdrew her candidacy.

“This mandate reflects Delhi’s trust in us to eradicate corruption and drive progress,” Iqbal Singh told The Federal.

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Speaking to the media, he added: “We will transform the city with transparency and efficiency, making it a model of urban governance.”

The AAP, despite holding 113 seats in the 250-member MCD House, boycotted the mayoral elections, citing the BJP’s reliance on councillor defections to secure its majority.

AAP strategy

An AAP insider, speaking anonymously to The Federal, revealed that the boycott was a strategic move to avoid “another public defeat” and to position the party as taking the moral high ground against what they call “BJP’s unethical tactics”.

“We didn’t want to legitimise a process tainted by defections,” the insider said. “This allows us to critique their governance from a position of principle.”

The BJP’s triumph was bolstered by an increase in its councillor count from 104 to 117 while AAP’s numbers dwindled from 134 to 113 due to defections and some councillors transitioning to the roles as MLAs and MPs. The absence of an anti-defection law in the MCD facilitated this shift, giving the BJP a decisive edge.

Standing committee

A critical priority for Iqbal Singh is forming the MCD’s 18-member Standing Committee, which has been stalled for over three years.

This committee, comprising 12 members elected from municipal zones and six from the MCD House, is essential for approving projects exceeding Rs 5 crore. “The absence of the Standing Committee has paralysed the MCD’s growth,” said the Mayor. “We’ll ensure it’s constituted within a month to execute long-stalled projects.”

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“The BJP has no excuses now. A mismanaged Standing Committee will expose their incompetence,” AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj told The Federal. “Delhiites will judge them on tangible results, not lofty promises.”

An MCD official, speaking anonymously, warned that a tied committee could lead to administrative paralysis. “The BJP must navigate carefully to avoid gridlock.”

Multifaceted challenges

With the BJP now firmly in control of the MCD, the party faces significant pressure to deliver. Long-standing civic issues — from waste management and crumbling infrastructure to erratic services — demand urgent attention. The administration must move swiftly to address towering landfill sites, chronic waterlogging, and incomplete desilting of drains ahead of the monsoon.

Among the BJP’s initial promises are the abolition of user charges for garbage collection, enhancement of healthcare facilities, expansion of green spaces, the fight against corruption, and curbing of Delhi’s worsening pollution.

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Beyond immediate firefighting, there is growing consensus that Delhi’s fragmented urban governance needs structural reform. A high-level committee has recommended the introduction of a digital dashboard to monitor services across agencies and better coordination between the MCD, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

(The committee was formed after three UPSC aspirants drowned last July at a coaching centre that was operating out of a waterlogged basement.)

Student hubs

The committee’s report, submitted to the Delhi High Court, also raised concerns about hazardous living conditions in student hubs like Mukherjee Nagar, Karol Bagh and Laxmi Nagar, proposing their relocation to safer, better-equipped areas. Broader failures in water supply, sewage management and drainage infrastructure were similarly flagged.

The report further pointed to deep-rooted flaws, including poor inter-agency coordination, overlapping jurisdictions, unauthorised construction, service delays, and weak enforcement of urban planning regulations.

It highlighted how private real estate development, often operating outside formal oversight, has led to substantial revenue leakage.

The committee has proposed the creation of a permanent inter-agency Standing Committee, chaired by Delhi’s Chief Secretary, to address these systemic issues. Public expectations are high, and real improvements will be the true test of the BJP’s leadership.

AAP on the lookout

The AAP’s boycott of the mayoral polls signals a broader strategy to counter the BJP’s dominance. The insider told The Federal that AAP plans a two-pronged approach: aggressive oversight of BJP’s governance and robust public outreach to highlight perceived failures.

“We’ll hold their feet to the fire on every promise — be it waste management or financial reforms,” said former Delhi Deputy Mayor Ravindra Bharadwaj.

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Simultaneously, AAP aims to remind voters of its own achievements, like free electricity and water, and draw sharp contrasts with BJP’s governance. With 113 MCD House seats, AAP intends to influence Standing Committee elections and prepare aggressively for the 2027 MCD polls.

Rival, beware!

“We’re not opposing for the sake of it,” the insider added. “We’re building a narrative that the BJP’s ‘triple engine’ is more about power consolidation than public service.”

“Their governance will be tested soon. Delhi demands action, not rhetoric,” Bharadwaj said.

Meanwhile, Iqbal Singh’s team is staring at staggering financial burdens: pending staff salaries of over Rs 2,751 crore, dues of Rs 1,079 crore to contractors and vendors, internal borrowings of Rs 2,746 crore, and external borrowings of Rs 7,541 crore from the Delhi government.