Delhi's political landscape shifts: AAP councillors join BJP ahead of key elections

BJP strengthens its position in Delhi's civic body, aiming for a "triple engine" government. In a blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), three of its councilors have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayoral election scheduled for April. This move bolsters the BJP's strength in the MCD and boosts its prospects of securing the mayor's post.

Defection Details and "Triple Engine" Vision

The three councilors who switched to the BJP are Anita Basoya (Andrews Ganj), Nikhil Chaprana (Hari Nagar), and Dharamvir (R K Puram). Welcoming the councilors, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that Delhi will soon have a "triple engine" government – at the Centre, assembly, and municipal levels – to develop it as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat'. He added that the councilors joined the BJP with the goal of transforming Delhi into a clean and attractive city.

Political Landscape and Mayoral Election

Following its recent victory in the Assembly elections, where it secured 48 out of 70 seats, the BJP is aiming for a "triple-engine government" by winning the mayoral election. The AAP had won the previous mayoral election in November 2024 by a narrow margin of three votes. The electorate for the mayoral election includes councilors, seven Lok Sabha MPs (all BJP), three Rajya Sabha MPs (all AAP), and 14 nominated MLAs.

Increased BJP Influence in MCD

With the addition of the three AAP councilors, the BJP's numerical strength in the MCD has increased. Furthermore, the BJP is set to have 10 of its MLAs nominated to the MCD, while the AAP will have four. In the February 5 Assembly polls, eight BJP councilors and three AAP councilors were elected to the assembly.