AAP to decide MCD mayor after LG appoints date to convene municipal house

The AAP will decide on the probables for the mayor’s post after the Delhi LG gives a date for the house to be convened, a party functionary said on Friday.

The MCD will be approaching Delhi LG VK Saxena to seek a date on which the Municipal House can be convened so that the councillors can take oath, and a mayor can be selected.

“Nearly 55 per cent of our women candidates registered wins in the MCD polls and since the first mayor will be a woman, we have plenty of choices. We are waiting for a date to be given by the LG and then we will decide on the person for the post,” the functionary said.

In a related development, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said the MCD mayor will be from the AAP and the BJP will play the role of a “strong opposition”, ending speculation over the saffron party staking a claim on the mayor’s post despite losing the civic polls.

The AAP got a shot in the arm after two Congress councillors joined it on Friday taking the total number of council to 136. There is no anti-defection law in the MCD.

The AAP won 134 wards, while the BJP won 104 wards in the recently concluded MCD elections, ending BJP’s 15-year rule over the civic body.

Hours after joining the Aam Aadmi Party, two newly elected Congress councillors and party leader Ali Mehdi switched back to the grand old party and issued an apology.

Posting a video on social media, Mehdi said he made a mistake by crossing over to the AAP and asserted that he is a “loyal worker” of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

“I made a huge mistake. I accept my fault and ask for apology from Rahul Gandhi with folded hands,” Mehdi said in the video.

Mehdi and two councillors — Sabila Begum and Nazia Khatoon — joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday. Sabila won from ward number 243, Mustafabad, while Khatoon won from ward number 245, Brij Puri.

After Mehdi and two councillors joined the AAP, residents of Mustafabad staged a protest. Videos of protests that emerged on social media showed people raising slogans against Mehdi and burning his effigy.

Delhi Congress vice-president Mudit Aggarwal had alleged that AAP was trying to “lure” some other party councillors also.

(With PTI inputs)

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