AAP Withdraws From MCD Mayoral Race, Accuses BJP of Undermining Democratic Process
In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming mayoral and standing committee elections in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Monday that it will not field candidates for these crucial posts. The elections are scheduled to be held on April 25.
The party, which emerged as the largest single party in the December 2022 civic polls, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using unethical and undemocratic tactics in its bid to regain control of the MCD, despite not securing the people’s mandate in the last election.
The balance of power in the MCD has shifted dramatically since the election results.
Although AAP initially secured 134 seats to the BJP’s 104, the BJP has since strengthened its position and now holds 117 seats after defections from other parties, while the AAP’s strength stands at 113.
The Congress currently has eight seats, and 12 councillor positions remain vacant due to their occupants having been elected to Parliament.
Addressing the media, AAP’s Delhi state convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed the BJP for what he described as a relentless and unscrupulous pursuit of power, even after losing in the electoral contest.
“We have observed the BJP’s obsession with power in Delhi for years now,” Bharadwaj said.
He went on to highlight the events of March 2022, when, according to him, the Centre and the Lieutenant Governor’s office interfered with the democratic process by halting a press conference by the State Election Commission, just hours before the municipal election schedule was due to be announced.
Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP used this delay to push for a delimitation exercise, which he claimed was engineered to favor the party.
“Wards were redrawn in a way that systematically disadvantaged AAP. Our stronghold areas were combined into single wards, while BJP-leaning neighborhoods were fragmented into multiple wards to artificially boost their numbers.
And still, the people of Delhi gave AAP the mandate in the December 4 elections,” he added.
Reflecting on the post-election turmoil, Bharadwaj recalled the chaotic scenes during the previous mayoral and standing committee elections, where the atmosphere inside the MCD House turned tense and even violent.
“The situation deteriorated to the point where microphones were destroyed, slogan shouting took over, and even the elected mayor was physically attacked.
The BJP’s desperate attempts to seize control exposed their intentions in front of the whole country. Ultimately, the matter had to be resolved by the Supreme Court, which made it clear that nominated aldermen have no right to vote in the mayoral elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior AAP leader and Delhi’s Leader of Opposition Atishi echoed similar sentiments, accusing the BJP of consistently resorting to undemocratic practices whenever it faces defeat at the ballot box.
“Whether it is Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, or Maharashtra — the BJP’s pattern is the same.
Whenever they lose an election, they try to hijack power using backdoor deals. They deploy money, muscle, and manipulation to undo the voters’ verdict,” Atishi charged.
The AAP’s decision to stay away from the April 25 election is being seen as both a protest and a political statement against what the party calls a systematic assault on democracy by the BJP.
