Delhi Speaker nominates 14 MLAs to MCD for elections

The Delhi Assembly Speaker, Vijender Gupta, has nominated 14 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). This move is seen as a way for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to strengthen its position ahead of the upcoming mayoral elections. Of the 14 nominated MLAs, 11 belong to the BJP, while three are from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). These nominated members will be participating in the election for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, which is set to take place in April. Gupta stated that these MLAs would also contribute to budget planning and urban governance in the MCD. Among the BJP nominees are Anil Sharma, Chandan Choudhary, and Ravi Kant, among others. The AAP nominees include Pravesh Ratn, Surendra Kumar, and Ram Singh Netaji. AAP won the previous mayoral election in November 2024 by a narrow margin of three votes. The BJP is eager to secure the mayoral position, especially after a strong performance in the recent assembly elections where they won 48 out of 70 seats. A senior BJP official expressed confidence that these nominations would increase their chances of winning the mayor's post. Additionally, there are reports of AAP councillors considering joining the BJP. The BJP became the largest party in the MCD recently, following the shift of three AAP councillors to their side. The anti-defection law does not apply in civic bodies, allowing these changes without penalties. The BJP believes they are well-positioned to lead the MCD, given their recent electoral success.