In a political development ahead of the upcoming MCD mayoral poll, three AAP councilors joined the BJP on Saturday, strengthening the party’s prospects in the election. Welcoming the new members, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva stated that the city would now have a "triple engine" government—at the Centre, assembly, and municipal levels—aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 'Viksit Bharat.' The councilors who switched sides are Anita Basoya (Andrews Ganj), Nikhil Chaprana (Hari Nagar), and Dharamvir (R K Puram).
Sachdeva stated that the councilors joined the BJP with the aim of making Delhi a cleaner and more beautiful city. Following its sweeping victory in the recent Assembly elections, the BJP is now striving to establish a "triple-engine government" in Delhi by securing the mayor’s post. The party won 48 out of 70 Assembly seats, bringing an end to AAP’s decade-long rule.
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The mayoral election is scheduled to be held in April. The AAP had won the last mayoral election, held in November 2024, by three votes. Besides the councilors, the seven Lok Sabha MPs (all of BJP), three Rajya Sabha MPs (all of AAP) and 14 nominated MLAs in Delhi are voters in the polls for mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.