BJP tightens grip over MCD, wins 8 of total 12 zones in internal polls

New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) The BJP won eight of the 12 zonal committees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also grabbed a decisive mandate in the Standing Committee of the civic body in the internal elections held on Monday.

One member each from the BJP and the AAP was elected to the 18-member Standing Committee -- the highest decision-making body of the MCD -- taking the total count of BJP members to 10 and giving it a majority.

While AAP's Rafia Mahir won from City Sadar-Paharganj Zone, BJP's Jagmohan Mehlawat emerged victorious from the South Zone.

The MCD has a total of 12 ward committees, out of which eight are now in control of the BJP and four are under the AAP. The BJP has its own mayor in the corporation.

Of the 12 zones BJP has won Najafgarh, Shahdara South, Shahdara North, South Zone, Keshav Puram, Civil Line, Narela, and Central, and the AAP has won Rohini, Karol Bagh, West and City SP zone.

The BJP celebrated the victory, saying that the results clearly reflect the "growing dissatisfaction" among AAP councillors.

"Winning the chairmanship in eight zones, including South Delhi, along with an additional victory in the Standing Committee elections and the deputy chairmanship in the Rohini zone, clearly reflects the growing dissatisfaction among AAP’s municipal councillors towards the party leadership," Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

Sachdeva said the BJP will soon conduct the election for the chairman of the Standing Committee and streamline the municipal administration to restart stalled development works.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said despite a faction breaking away from the party, it won four zones.

"In MCD, Aam Aadmi Party has won in West Zone, City Sadar Zone, Karol Bagh Zone, and Rohini Zone. This, despite 15 councillors leaving the party and forming a new group with the support of the BJP, we have retained control over 4 out of 5 zones," Saurabh Bharadwaj, president of AAP Delhi unit, said in a post on X.

"I feel very proud to inform you that those who left AAP and formed a new faction and who got open support from the BJP failed to win in any zone," he added.

Earlier, 16 councillors of the AAP broke away from the party and formed a new Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) and fielded candidates in the zonal committee elections; none of them won. PTI SSM RHL