Aam Aadmi Party announces candidate for mayoral election

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party’s National Secretary Pankaj Gupta on Friday announced the names of its Mayor, Deputy Mayor and four members of the Standing Committee for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Shelly Oberoi, a councillor from Ward 86 Patel Nagar was announced for the post of Mayor. Whereas Aaley Muhammad Iqbal, a councillor from Ward 76 Matia Mahal was nominated for the Deputy Mayor post.

The election to pick Delhi’s next Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be held on January 6, 2023.

These names were approved after discussions in the Political Affairs Committee, the decision-making body of the AAP party.

Addressing the press conference, Pankaj Gupta said, ‘The PAC meeting was held at the CM’s residence this morning. Six names were discussed in this meeting. Names were fixed for four standing committees, one for the mayor and one for the deputy mayor.”

“The name of Aaley Muhammad Iqbal has been fixed for the post of Deputy Mayor, who has been elected councillor from Ward 76 Matia Mahal. At the same time, the name of Shelly Oberoi, who is a councillor from Ward 86 Patel Nagar, has been fixed for the post of Mayor,” Pankaj Gupta said.

Oberoi is a first-time councillor from the East Patel Nagar of Delhi. The 39-year-old former professor had contested the elections from former Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta’s home turf of East Patel Nagar and defeated him.

The face for the Deputy Mayor post, AAP’s Aaley Muhammad had created a record of winning the highest number of votes in the election. He defeated Congress candidate Mohammad Hamid by 17,134 votes.

Aaley Muhammad is the son of Shoaib Iqbal, the current MLA of the AAP from Matiamahal.

According to the source, December 27 is the last date for filling nominations for mayoral elections which will be held on January 6.

The victory of the AAP candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor is being considered as the party is in majority in the corporation as BJP has announced to stay away from these elections.

Apart from 250 corporators, a total of 10 MPs including seven Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha MPs from Delhi and 1/5 of the total members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly elected by the Speaker will also vote to pick Delhi’s next Mayor and Deputy Mayor on January 6, 2023.

The AAP wrested control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP, winning 134 seats in the 250-seat civic body in the recently held polls, dislodging BJP’s 15-year rule.

Whereas BJP came second with 104 wards. Congress managed to get 9 wards while Independents bagged three wards.

Centre merged the three erstwhile municipalities — North, South and East — into a unified MCD in May.

“Thanks to the people of Delhi for this grand victory and many congratulations to all. Now all of us have to make Delhi clean and beautiful,” tweeted

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.