Delhi Mayor election: BJP's Parvesh Wahi set to win on April 29
Synopsis
BJP's Parvesh Wahi is virtually guaranteed the Delhi Mayor post on 29 April — Congress has just nine of 273 seats and AAP has walked away from the contest entirely. With 157 councillors behind him against a 137-vote threshold, the only real question is the margin, not the outcome.
Key Takeaways
Parvesh Wahi (BJP, Rohini-East) is the near-certain winner of the MCD Mayoral election on 29 April 2025 .
BJP holds 157 councillors in the 273-member MCD ; the winning threshold is 137 votes .
AAP has decided not to field a candidate; Congress holds only 9 seats and has nominated Haji Zarif .
Monika Pant (Anand Vihar) is BJP's nominee for Deputy Mayor; Jaibhagwan Yadav (Begampur) for Leader of the House.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva chaired a pre-election briefing for all BJP councillors and MPs on Tuesday.
BJP councillor Parvesh Wahi from Rohini-East ward is all but certain to be elected as the new Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on 29 April 2025, with his party commanding a clear numerical majority in the 273-member Corporation and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opting out of the contest entirely.
Wahi requires 137 votes to secure the mayoral post. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the backing of 157 councillors, according to a BJP leader — a comfortable cushion above the winning threshold. His sole challenger, Haji Zarif, is fielded by the Indian National Congress (Congress), which holds just nine seats in the civic House.
Pre-Election Preparations
On the eve of the mayoral election, the Delhi BJP convened a special meeting at its party office under the leadership of Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva. All attending councillors and Members of Parliament were briefed and trained on the formal voting procedure ahead of Wednesday's session. The exercise underscored the party's intent to leave nothing to chance despite its numerical dominance.
Full Slate of Civic Posts at Stake
Wednesday's session is not limited to the mayoral contest. Councillors will also elect a new Deputy Mayor and three members of the Standing Committee of the MCD. The BJP has nominated Monika Pant, councillor from ward number 206, Anand Vihar, for the Deputy Mayor's post. For the roles of Leader of the House and Standing Committee member, the party has fielded Jaibhagwan Yadav, councillor from ward 27, Begampur. Paharganj councillor Manish Chadha has also been nominated for the Standing Committee election.
On the Congress side, Mubaraknagar councillor Rajesh Kumar Gupta has been fielded for the Deputy Mayor's post. The Congress has appealed to councillors across all parties for a conscience vote, hoping to benefit from possible cross-voting — a long shot given the BJP's commanding numbers.
AAP Steps Aside, BJP Takes a Jibe
Delhi AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj announced earlier this month that the party would not field a candidate for the mayoral election. A BJP leader attributed the decision to AAP's recognition of the BJP's numerical superiority in the civic House.
Mayoral candidate Wahi was pointed in his response to AAP's withdrawal. He told news agency IANS:
Point of View
Only to lose control of the House through defections and disqualifications. Congress, with nine seats, is contesting largely to stay visible and to test cross-voting as a tactic. The BJP, meanwhile, is using the occasion to consolidate its grip on Delhi's civic machinery ahead of future assembly cycles — and Wahi's jibe at AAP signals the party intends to extract maximum political capital from its opponent's retreat.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Parvesh Wahi and why is he likely to win the Delhi Mayor election?
Parvesh Wahi is a BJP councillor from Rohini-East ward and the current Leader of the House in the MCD. He is expected to win the 29 April 2025 mayoral election because the BJP commands 157 councillors in the 273-member Corporation, well above the 137-vote majority needed.
Why has AAP decided not to contest the Delhi Mayor election?
AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj announced earlier in April that the party would not field a mayoral candidate. BJP leaders have attributed the decision to AAP's recognition that the BJP holds a clear numerical majority in the civic House.
Who is the Congress candidate for Delhi Mayor?
Congress has nominated Kabir Nagar councillor Haji Zarif for the Mayor's post. However, Congress holds only nine seats in the 273-member MCD, making a victory highly unlikely without significant cross-voting from other parties.
What other posts will be decided in the 29 April MCD election?
Apart from the Mayor, councillors will elect a Deputy Mayor and three members of the MCD Standing Committee. BJP has nominated Monika Pant for Deputy Mayor and Jaibhagwan Yadav for Leader of the House and Standing Committee member.
Who was the previous Delhi Mayor elected from the BJP?
The previous Mayor elected from the BJP was Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, who won the last mayoral election, defeating Congress's Mandeep Singh.
