Aam Aadmi Party’s Mahesh Khichi with Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, party leader Sanjay Singh, and others during celebration at MCD House in New Delhi on Thursday (November 14, 2024). | Photo Credit: PTI

AAP's Mahesh Khichi elected Delhi Mayor amid Congress boycott

Mr. Khichi, a Dalit, defeated BJP’s Kishan Lal by three votes; eight councillors of Congress did not participate in the voting process

by · The Hindu

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Mahesh Khichi was elected as the next mayor of Delhi on Thursday (November 14, 2024), in a major boost to the national capital’s ruling party ahead of the Assembly polls due early next year.

Mr. Khichi, a Dalit candidate fielded by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kishan Lal by a wafer-thin margin of three votes. While Mr. Khichi got 133 votes, Mr. Lal secured 130 votes. Two votes were declared invalid.

The eight councillors of the Congress did not participate in the voting process. Congress boycotted the voting process demanding a full term for the Mayor rather than the truncated tenure now on offer.

The polls were delayed from April due to a protracted war of words between the AAP and the BJP.

Published - November 14, 2024 07:21 pm IST