Delhi Mayor Polls: Fresh elections for the Mayor’s post in Delhi are set to take place, and the Bharatiya Janata Party has stepped up preparations. The party has announced Pravesh Wahi as its candidate for the top civic post.
Who Is Pravesh Wahi?
Currently, Wahi serves as the Leader of the House in the MCD and is a councillor from Rohini E ward. The nomination of Wahi comes at a time when the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that it will not contest the mayoral election, giving an advantage to the BJP in the mayoral race.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress and other parties do not have sufficient numbers to pose a serious challenge. This has led to strong indications that the BJP candidate could be elected unopposed. The party reportedly finalised Wahi’s name after extensive internal discussions.
Deliberations Before Final Announcement
April 23 is the last date for filing nominations. Sources suggest that as late as the evening of April 22, senior BJP leaders had not reached a consensus on the candidate. The final decision was then left to the party’s central leadership.
If no other party announces a candidate by the deadline, Pravesh Wahi could be declared mayor without a contest.
There were indications that the current mayor, Raja Iqbal Singh, would not be given another term. That appears to have held true. However, given his experience and seniority, he may be assigned an important role within the Municipal Corporation.
BJP’s Numerical Edge in MCD
The Municipal Corporation has a total of 250 councillors, out of which the BJP holds 123 seats. This gives the party a strong position in the mayoral election.
However, political observers believe the real test for the BJP will begin after the election. With the party in power both at the Centre and in the civic body, expectations are high for improved governance and delivery. Over the past year, the corporation has received substantial funding, and the focus will now be on performance in the coming months.