5 AAP councillors in Delhi switch over to BJP ahead of MCD panel polls
A notification inviting nominations for the elections is expected in the next couple of days, said an MCD official
Two days after mayor Shelly Oberoi directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) secretary to initiate the process for elections to the civic body’s zonal ward committees and standing committee, five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday.
The councillors who switched over to the BJP are Ramchandra (ward 28), Pawan Sehrawat (ward 30), Mamata Pawan (ward 177), Sugandha Bidhuri (ward 178), and Manju Nirmal (ward 180). Two of the councillors — Ramchandra and Sehrawat — are from the Narela zone, while the remaining are from the Central zone.
Both these zones are set to witness close contests between the AAP and the BJP in the coming elections.
A notification inviting nominations for the elections is expected in the next couple of days, said an MCD official.
The defection, coupled with a Supreme Court judgment on August 5 that upheld lieutenant governor VK Saxena’s appointment of 10 nominated members in the corporation — called aldermen — has now led to a situation where the BJP has a numerical advantage in seven out of the 12 zonal wards committee.
This advantage will also extend to the constitution of the standing committee — six out of 18 members of the powerful panel are elected in direct elections by the house, and 12 members are elected by members of the wards committees — one from each administrative zone. The wards committees, in turn, include aldermen who have voting powers, and hence impact the outcome of the formation of the standing committee.
{{/usCountry}}This advantage will also extend to the constitution of the standing committee — six out of 18 members of the powerful panel are elected in direct elections by the house, and 12 members are elected by members of the wards committees — one from each administrative zone. The wards committees, in turn, include aldermen who have voting powers, and hence impact the outcome of the formation of the standing committee.
{{/usCountry}}Welcoming the five councillors to his party, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that they were “troubled” as they were being pressured to “indulge in corruption” and to “gather crowds for AAP leaders”.
{{/usCountry}}Welcoming the five councillors to his party, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that they were “troubled” as they were being pressured to “indulge in corruption” and to “gather crowds for AAP leaders”.
{{/usCountry}}“When any member of the opposition joins the BJP, the reason is the efficiency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his welfare schemes, which have given a new hope to the people of the country… Today, those who have decided to join the BJP will work together with us to serve the public,” Sachdeva said.
{{/usCountry}}“When any member of the opposition joins the BJP, the reason is the efficiency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his welfare schemes, which have given a new hope to the people of the country… Today, those who have decided to join the BJP will work together with us to serve the public,” Sachdeva said.
{{/usCountry}}The AAP hit back, saying its members would rather face jail than “bow down to the BJP”.
To be sure, anti-defection laws do not apply in MCD.
One of the councillors who defected on Sunday, Sehrawat, was elected on an AAP ticket on December 7, 2022 defected to the BJP in February 2023, returned to AAP fold in May 2023, and has once again defected to the BJP.
Sehrawat said: “We are joining the BJP out of frustration with the corruption and incompetence in AAP’s top leadership that has come to light.”
Tussle for standing committee
The constitution of the standing committee, which controls the finances of MCD, has been pending since January 2023.
Last year, in February, the direct elections for six members devolved into chaos and pandemonium after Oberoi, who was chairing the meeting where the elections were held, ruled that a repoll would be held. Later, the BJP took the matter to the Delhi high court, which on May 23 this year set aside Oberoi’s ruling, resulting in both the AAP and BJP securing three seats each.
However, one of the seats that the BJP won is now vacant — councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat resigned from her post in June after she was elected the Lok Sabha MP from West Delhi.
“Since members will be voting for only one seat, it will be a direct contest. Since AAP has a clear majority in the house, they seem to have an upper hand in winning this contest,” a senior MCD official said.
A civic official clarified that the election on the seat vacated by Sehrawat will come second in order of things during the general meeting of the house. “First, we will now hold the elections for wards committees at the Civic Centre through which a chairman, deputy chairman and standing committee from each zone will be elected,” the official said.
Changing numbers: Aldermen plus defectors
Twelve members of the standing committee are elected indirectly, through wards committees. Based on the distribution of the councillors after the elections, the BJP had an advantage in only four zones — Shahdara North, Shahdara South, Najafgarh and Keshavpuram.
However, the LG then nominated 10 aldermen in three zones which had close contests — Central, Narela, and Civil Lines — giving BJP an advantage.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said his party will not need the support of others in the coming elections. “The BJP is now in majority in seven wards. In all probability, we now get a majority in the standing committee elections if Aam Aadmi Party allows the election to take place,” he said.
Responding to the defection, the AAP in a statement said, “The AAP stands firm as a party of unwavering honesty and patriotism, ready to face jail rather than bow down to the BJP. We follow the path of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh—we won’t be intimidated by the BJP’s poaching tactics.”
