New Delhi, August 26 – In a significant political shift, five councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This move is expected to enhance the BJP’s chances of securing a majority in the standing committee of the civic body.
The councillors who have joined the BJP are Ramchandra (Ward 28), Pawan Sehrawat (Ward 30), Mamata Pawan (Ward 177), Sugandha Bidhuri (Ward 178), and Manju Nirmal (Ward 180). Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, addressing the media during the joining event, claimed that these councillors were dissatisfied with the pressure to engage in corruption and mobilize crowds for AAP leaders.
The defection is particularly impactful as the anti-defection law, which applies to Members of Parliament (MPs) and State Legislators (MLAs), does not extend to the MCD. This law, passed in 1985, does not penalize individual councillors for switching parties.
With the addition of these five councillors, the BJP now holds the majority in seven out of twelve ward committees in the MCD. This positions the party favorably for upcoming standing committee elections, provided that AAP permits the elections to proceed.
Earlier this week, the MCD mayor issued an order to commence the election process for the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the ward committees, as well as one member from each of the twelve zones to the standing committee.
Following the defections, the AAP’s strength in the MCD has reduced from 134 to 127 councillors. The BJP, now with 112 councillors, is closing the gap. The political tensions between AAP and BJP have escalated to the courts as both parties vie for control.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act stipulates that the standing committee, the highest decision-making body in the MCD, comprises six members elected from the House and twelve elected from the ward committees.
At the joining event, BJP MPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Yogender Chandolia, along with senior leader Arvinder Singh Lovely and Raj Kumar Anand, were present. Sachdeva attributed the councillors’ shift to the effectiveness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance and welfare schemes.
Bidhuri welcomed the new members, emphasizing the BJP’s commitment to providing opportunities for positive contributions while upholding party discipline.
