Delhi: AAP's Shelly Oberoi Elected As Mayor Of Delhi, Defeats BJP's Rekha Gupta By 34 Votes

Shelly Oberoi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was on Wednesday elected as the Mayor of Delhi. She defeated her rival Rekha Gupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 34 votes. 

The newly elected Mayor on Wednesday said the the AAP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi will carry out inspection of landfill sites in the next three months.

Minutes after taking charge, she told the House, "We have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of people".

Later, addressing media in her office, she fielded a few questions before moving back to the House to chair the conduct of the election for the deputy mayor of Delhi.

"The 10 guarantees that CM Arvind Kejriwal has given to people, and the dreams that he has foreseen for Delhi, we will work on them," the AAP leader said, when asked what will be her priorities as a mayor.

Asked if the election for the six members of the Standing Committee of the MCD will take place today, she said, "yes".

The mayor thanked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and the people of Delhi. She also thanked Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

"My thanks are due also to the Supreme Court, because of whose order the mayor election was held today peacefully," Oberoi said.

"I will give the best in my term, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. Work will officially begin in Delhi from tomorrow onwards, and inspection of landfill sites wil be done in the next three months months," she said.

What did CM Kejriwal say?

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday congratulated the people of Delhi over AAP councilor Shelly Oberoi's win in the mayoral poll and hit out at the BJP saying the public won and the "goons" were defeated.

"The goons lost, the public won. In the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the people of Delhi won and hooliganism was defeated. Congratulations to the people of Delhi on Shelly Oberoi being elected mayor," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi without naming anyone.

Three previous sessions failed to elect Mayor of Delhi

Since the results of MCD elections were declared last year, MCD House has convened three times but elections could not be held because of ruckus.

Earlier on February 6, the MCD House was adjourned for the third time in a month without electing the Mayor of Delhi.

Earlier on January 24, a ruckus between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members led to the adjournment of the house. Before that, on January 6, the MCD House was adjourned because of a similar ruckus.

The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Delhi are to be elected in the very first session of the House that convenes after the civic polls, according to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957.

The MCD elections were held on December 4 and results came out on December 7. The AAP emerged as a winner in MCD polls with 134 of the total 250 seats. The BJP won 104 and the Congress won nine seats. 

Heavy security deployed at MCD headquarters

Authorities stepped up security inside the municipal House and on the Civic Centre premises in Delhi for the mayoral poll.

Several civil defence personnel, including women members, have been deployed in the chamber of the House.

Civic Centre is the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Heavy deployment of paramilitary force has been done on the premises of the Civic Centre.

What happened previously?

Last week, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena gave his nod to convene the municipal House for holding the mayoral election following the apex court order.

The top court on February 17 ordered the issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of elections for the mayor, the deputy mayor and the members of the standing committee of the civic body.

The court issued the order after hearing a plea moved by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi, who had sought an early conduct of the election.

The AAP had emerged as a clear winner in the December 4 MCD polls, bagging 134 wards and ending the BJP's 15-year rule in the civic body. The BJP won 104 wards to finish second, while the Congress won nine seats in the 250-member municipal House.

(With PTI Inputs)