AAP's Mahesh Khichi defeats BJP's Kishan Lal by three votes to win Delhi mayor election

Pic/X

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Mahesh Khichi was elected as the next mayor of Delhi on Thursday, marking a significant victory for the ruling party in the national capital ahead of the Assembly polls due early next year, news agency PTI reported.

As Khichi took his seat, the jubilant AAP councillors shouted the slogans of "Jai Bhim" to celebrate the Dalit candidate's victory in a tough contest.

According to PTI, of the total 256 votes cast in the Delhi Mayor Elections, Khichi secured 133, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kishan Lal by a wafer-thin margin of three votes. Two of the votes were declared invalid.

Following its defeat in the mayoral poll contest, the BJP withdrew from the race for deputy mayor, clearing the way for the AAP's Ravinder Bharadwaj to secure the position unopposed. The saffron party had fielded Nita Bisht for the deputy mayor's post.

"Many congratulations to Mahesh Kumar ji on being elected as the new Mayor of Delhi. Work diligently for the people, take forward the good work being done in MCD," AAP national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, eight AAP councillors also cross-voted in the polls, helping the BJP increase its vote share in the Delhi Mayor Election, party officials said.

Seven Congress councillors didn't take part, one resigned from party before voting

The seven Congress councillors did not participate in the voting while one resigned from the party at the last moment, ANI reported.

The AAP candidates emerged victorious after a closely-contested election in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), following months of tension between the Kejriwal-led party and BJP.

The Delhi Mayor Election, initially scheduled for April, were postponed owing to procedural delays.

The Congress boycotted the voting, calling for a full term for the mayor rather than the truncated tenure on offer. "We want the Dalit mayor to get a full tenure instead of just four months," a Congress councillor said.

The day began with an uproar in the MCD House as the Congress councillors, led by the Leader of the Party Nazia Dhanish, raised slogans and stormed into the well. Dhanish accused the administration of denying a Dalit mayor a full term.

The Congress members raised slogans accusing the AAP of being anti-Dalit, while the ruling party councillors responded with chants in support of Kejriwal.

Moments later, in a dramatic twist, Congress councillor Sabila Begum resigned from the party just ahead of the voting. Her resignation letter, posted online by her husband, revealed her intent to support the AAP nominee.

Key political figures, including AAP lawmakers Sanjay Singh and N D Gupta, along with all seven Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MP) of the BJP from Delhi, exercised their franchise.

(With PTI inputs)