New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Pravesh Wahi, BJP councillor from Rohini E ward, was elected as the new Mayor of Delhi on Wednesday, securing a decisive victory with a landslide margin.

The outcome was largely anticipated as the BJP holds a majority in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). While the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chose to stay away from the mayoral contest, Wahi defeated Congress candidate Mohammad Zarif in the election.

A total of 165 votes were cast in the mayoral poll, with Wahi securing 156 votes, while the Congress nominee managed to get just nine votes.

Meanwhile, along with the mayoral election, councillors also picked a new Deputy Mayor — Monika Pant, a councillor from ward number 206, Anand Vihar.

Pravesh Wahi currently represents Ward 53-E in Rohini and had earlier won the seat with a commanding margin in the 2022 municipal elections.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts from Shivaji College, Delhi University, in 1984. He is also serving as the Leader of the House in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

He began his political journey with the BJP Yuva Morcha in 2002 and went on to hold several organisational responsibilities before entering electoral politics.

Wahi was first elected as a councillor in 2007 from Rohini and later from Naharpur, and also served a second term between 2012 and 2017.

Over the years, he has held important positions, including chairman of the Rohini zonal committee from 2010 to 2012 and chairman of the standing committee in the erstwhile North Corporation between 2016 and 2017.

Earlier, expressing gratitude towards Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other ministers of the Delhi government for nominating him, Wahi had said that the financial challenges of the MCD were no longer a major concern.

He added that, if elected, his focus would be on improving sanitation services significantly with the support of the Delhi government, which has been assisting with funds.

On Monday, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta nominated 14 legislators to the electoral college for the mayoral poll, including 11 MLAs from the BJP and three from the AAP.

The next full general elections for all 250 wards of the MCD are expected to be held in 2027, as the current House has a five-year tenure beginning from its first sitting in late 2022. However, as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the term of the Mayor is limited to one year.

Members of Parliament, who also have voting rights in the MCD along with the 14 nominated MLAs, reviewed their strategy ahead of the election to ensure a smooth victory for the BJP candidate.

The meeting was addressed by Delhi BJP chief, Virendra Sachdeva, and Union Minister of State, Harsh Malhotra, and was attended by MPs Manoj Tiwari, Yogender Chandolia and Kamaljeet Sehrawat, among others.

–IANS

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