Who is AAP’s Mahesh Khichi, who has received Delhi mayor election? –

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Mahesh Kumar Khichi secured victory within the Delhi mayoral polls, as voting for the long-delayed election came about on Thursday.

Khichi, a Dalit candidate, clinched a 3rd mayoral time period for the Arvind Kejriwal-led occasion because it got here to energy within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in December 2022, ending its rival Bharatiya Janata Party’s 15-year rule within the nationwide capital.

Soon after the election outcomes had been declared, the newly elected Delhi mayor stated, “The challenge is to work in the service of the people of Delhi – the way Arvind Kejriwal has done the work for the people of Delhi… My priority will be to work for the cleanliness of the city.”

AAP received by a wafer-thin margin

The Delhi mayoral election was a tightly contested race between the BJP and AAP, with each events’ candidates staying neck and neck till the ultimate depend.

Mahesh Kumar Khichi received with 133 votes, narrowly defeating the BJP’s Kishan Pal, who secured 130 votes. The election, held amidst chaos and disruption—together with a walkout by Congress members—noticed two votes declared invalid, in accordance with PTI.

VIDEO | Delhi Mayoral Polls: AAP candidate Mahesh Kumar Khichi, accompanied by occasion MP Sanjay Singh and different leaders, reveals victory signal contained in the MCD House. pic.twitter.com/Lx4gHFPW9D

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2024

In a separate contest, AAP’s Ravindra Bhardwaj was elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor. His BJP opponent, Neeta Bisht, a councillor from Aman Vihar (Ward No. 41), withdrew her nomination on the final minute, as reported by NDTV.

In the meantime, there was additionally cross-voting by the AAP councillors as 8 members from Kejriwal’s occasion voted for the BJP candidate.

“Eight Aam Aadmi Party councillors voting in favour of the BJP and two votes being declared invalid is not only a victory for democracy but also a big moral defeat for Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal no longer has the moral right to remain the ‘AAP’ convenor,” learn a press release from the BJP.

The election was not with out drama, as Congress staged a walkout throughout the vote, demanding a full one-year time period for the town’s first Dalit mayor.

However, two Congress councillors, Mohammad Khushnood and his spouse Sabila Begum, resigned from the occasion to assist AAP, arguing that the walkout would solely assist the BJP.

Who is Mahesh Kumar Khichi?

Mahesh Kumar Khichi, the AAP councillor from Dev Nagar in Karol Bagh, defeated BJP’s Kishan Lal, who represents the Shakurpur ward.

“I thank the MPs, MLAs, councillors, everyone for making me win in this election,” Khichi stated after his victory within the Delhi mayoral polls.

VIDEO | “I thank the MPs, MLAs, councillors, everyone for making me win in this election,” says AAP’s Mahesh Kumar Khichi after successful Delhi mayoral polls. pic.twitter.com/TLRbOrTKRy

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2024

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh stated, “Mahesh Kumar Khichi has been elected as Delhi’s new mayor. He will try his best to implement Arvind Kejriwal’s plans in Delhi and focus on cleaning the national capital. I, on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP and our councillors, want to congratulate him on his victory.”

Khichi was actively concerned throughout the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, campaigning for AAP’s New Delhi constituency candidate, Somnath Bharti.

He will now take over from
Shelly Oberoi, an AAP chief who assumed the MCD workplace in 2023. However, Khichi’s time period will final solely 5 months.

Why will Khichi have such a brief time period?

As per MCD guidelines, mayoral elections are held each April, masking a five-year time period with single-year tenures rotated yearly.

In the primary yr, the place is reserved for a girl. In the second yr, a candidate from the “open” class is chosen, adopted by a reserved class candidate within the third yr, with the ultimate two years reverting to the “open” class.

However, this yr’s mayoral election was marked by a seven-month impasse between the ruling AAP and the BJP, resulting in repeated disruptions within the MCD House and delaying the elections, which had been initially set for April.

Due to this political battle, the brand new Mayor’s time period has been decreased to simply 5 months.

With enter from companies