Delhi Mayoral election: A high-stakes battle for MCD control

With just weeks remaining until Delhi’s mayoral elections, the political landscape of the national capital is heating up as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounts a determined campaign to wrest control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

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The BJP, buoyed by its recent triumph in Assembly elections, is aiming to replicate that success and end AAP’s turbulent tenure in the MCD, which began in 2022 when AAP broke the BJP’s 15-year dominance by securing a majority of 134 seats in the 250-member House.

Shifting balance of power

The MCD’s composition has shifted dramatically since the 2022 elections when the BJP secured 104 seats, the Congress took nine and three went to independents.

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The absence of an anti-defection law for MCD Councillors has fuelled a wave of defections, reshaping the House’s dynamics.

Ahead of the Assembly elections last month, the BJP increased its tally to 120 councillors while the AAP’s dropped to 121. Post-elections, the numbers shifted again as three AAP and eight BJP councillors became MLAs, reducing the AAP tally to 118 and the BJP’s to 112.

More blows to AAP

The latest blow to the AAP came with the defection of four more councillors to the BJP, leaving the AAP with 114 against the BJP’s 116 as of April 1.

Leader of the Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh admitted to The Federal the BJP’s advantage. “AAP has already lost the majority in the House, and it was time for a change in Mayor.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Mayor Ravindra Bharadwaj countered, telling The Federal: “The BJP is using all its might to ensure that the councillors are horse-traded, and there is no law to address them.”

Confident BJP

Despite its narrow lead, the BJP is poised to secure a clear majority in the mayoral polls.

The electorate includes not only the 250 elected councillors but also 14 nominated MLAs (proportional to Assembly strength), seven Lok Sabha MPs (all BJP), and three Rajya Sabha MPs (all AAP).

The BJP’s Assembly victory has boosted its share of nominated MLAs to 12, up from just one previously, giving it a significant edge.

The Congress, with its modest nine seats, could play a pivotal role, though its stance remains uncertain.

A Congress leader, speaking to The Federal on condition of anonymity, remarked: “Even though we don’t differentiate much between AAP and BJP in the local dynamics of Delhi politics, our voting wouldn’t make much of a difference since the BJP already has the numbers.”

This ambiguity has kept both major parties on the edge as they vie for potential backing.

AAP’s 2022 victory was built on ambitious promises — clearing Delhi’s three landfills, regularising contractual workers, and resolving parking issues.

Nearly three years later, these commitments remain largely unfulfilled, stymied by bureaucratic hurdles and relentless clashes with the BJP.

The party’s drubbing in the 2025 Assembly elections – where its seats plummeted from 62 in 2020 to just 22 – further weakened its position, emboldening the BJP’s push for MCD control.

Appointment of 10 aldermen

A key flashpoint has been the appointment of 10 aldermen by Lt Governor VK Saxena, all BJP affiliates, which AAP challenged in the Supreme Court.

The legal battle delayed the formation of ward committees and the critical 18-member Standing Committee, which approves projects exceeding Rs 5 crore.

The Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling upholding the LG’s appointments allowed ward committee elections to proceed, with the BJP winning key posts in seven of 12 zones and securing a 9-8 edge over AAP in the Standing Committee.

However, ongoing disputes, including a boycotted byelection in September 2024 that handed the BJP an unopposed win, have left the committee’s full formation unresolved.

Defection debate

The absence of an anti-defection law for MCD councillors has been a contentious issue.

Constitutional expert SK Sharma told The Federal: “The defection law on councillors is debatable and might have its pros and cons. But going by the rule book, the law for defections only applies to legislatures.”

Interestingly, when The Federal spoke to Councillors across party lines, they did not support the idea of an anti-defection law.

Meanwhile, an AAP leader, speaking anonymously to The Federal, warned that there will be more defections from his party to the BJP in the coming days.

The MCD’s dysfunction has had tangible consequences for Delhi’s residents.

Without a fully operational Standing Committee, basic administrative approvals – like renewing garbage collection contracts or hiring horticulture staff – have stalled.

The AAP’s flagship promise to eliminate landfills has seen repeated delays, with deadlines pushed back due to a lack of financial clearances. These failures have provided the BJP with ample ammunition to criticise AAP’s governance record as it campaigns for the mayoral post.

What’s at stake?

The MCD, led by the Mayor, oversees 35 departments responsible for sanitation, horticulture, education, public health and more. Its 250 councillors serve as grassroots representatives, addressing ward-level issues like waste disposal, road maintenance and street lighting.

The upcoming mayor election will not only determine the MCD’s leadership but also signal broader shifts in Delhi’s political landscape, especially as the BJP seeks to consolidate its recent Assembly gains.

As the countdown to the mayoral polls continues, the contest remains a tightrope walk of alliances, defections and governance critiques.

With the BJP holding a slight edge and AAP fighting to retain its grip, the outcome will hinge on strategic moves — and perhaps the Congress’ elusive stance — in this battle for Delhi’s civic helm.