In a move that has added further complexity to the Delhi mayoral elections, the Congress announced on Thursday it will boycott the voting process for both the mayor and deputy mayor positions in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Congress’s Demand for Full Term for Dalit Mayor
The party expressed its demand for the newly elected Dalit mayor to serve a full one-year term, as opposed to the truncated tenure that would end in April 2025. A Congress councillor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that while the party will attend the House, it will abstain from voting. “We want the Dalit mayor to get a full tenure, instead of just four months,” the councillor said.
According to the rotation system followed by the MCD, the mayoral position is reserved on a rotational basis for specific categories. This year, the mayor will be from the Dalit community. MCD rules stipulate that mayoral elections are held annually, with the position rotating among various categories, including women, open category, and reserved category. This means that the Dalit mayor will only serve until April 2025, with the post rotating again after that.
Controversy and Delay in Elections
These elections mark the third mayoral polls following the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) victory in December 2022, which ended the BJP’s 15-year rule in MCD. The previous mayor and deputy mayor, Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Mohammed Iqbal of AAP, have held the posts since February 2023. However, delays in conducting the elections—initially set for April—were attributed to infighting between the AAP and BJP.
The AAP has nominated Mahesh Khichi, councillor from Devnagar, for the mayor’s position and Ravinder Bharadwaj, councillor from Aman Vihar, for deputy mayor. In contrast, the BJP has fielded Kishan Lal for mayor and Nita Bisht for deputy mayor. The Congress’s boycott adds another layer of uncertainty to the voting process, with both major political parties vying for control of the mayoral office.
