Who is AAP’s Mahesh Khichi, who has won Delhi mayor election?

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Mahesh Kumar Khichi secured victory in the Delhi mayoral polls, as voting for the long-delayed election took place on Thursday.

Khichi, a Dalit candidate, clinched a third mayoral term for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party since it came to power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in December 2022, ending its rival Bharatiya Janata Party’s 15-year rule in the national capital.

Soon after the election results were declared, the newly elected Delhi mayor said, “The challenge is to work in the service of the people of Delhi – the way Arvind Kejriwal has done the work for the people of Delhi… My priority will be to work for the cleanliness of the city.”

The Delhi mayoral election was a tightly contested race between the BJP and AAP, with both parties’ candidates staying neck and neck until the final count.

Mahesh Kumar Khichi won with 133 votes, narrowly defeating the BJP’s Kishan Pal, who secured 130 votes. The election, held amidst chaos and disruption—including a walkout by Congress members—saw two votes declared invalid, according to PTI.

In a separate contest, AAP’s Ravindra Bhardwaj was elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor. His BJP opponent, Neeta Bisht, a councillor from Aman Vihar (Ward No. 41), withdrew her nomination at the last minute, as reported by NDTV.

In the meantime, there was also cross-voting by the AAP councillors as 8 members from Kejriwal’s party voted for the BJP candidate.

“Eight Aam Aadmi Party councillors voting in favour of the BJP and two votes being declared invalid is not only a victory for democracy but also a big moral defeat for Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal no longer has the moral right to remain the ‘AAP’ convenor,” read a statement from the BJP.

The election was not without drama, as Congress staged a walkout during the vote, demanding a full one-year term for the city’s first Dalit mayor.

However, two Congress councillors, Mohammad Khushnood and his wife Sabila Begum, resigned from the party to support AAP, arguing that the walkout would only aid the BJP.

Mahesh Kumar Khichi, the AAP councillor from Dev Nagar in Karol Bagh, defeated BJP’s Kishan Lal, who represents the Shakurpur ward.

“I thank the MPs, MLAs, councillors, everyone for making me win in this election,” Khichi said after his victory in the Delhi mayoral polls.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “Mahesh Kumar Khichi has been elected as Delhi’s new mayor. He will try his best to implement Arvind Kejriwal’s plans in Delhi and focus on cleaning the national capital. I, on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP and our councillors, want to congratulate him on his victory.”

Khichi was actively involved during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, campaigning for AAP’s New Delhi constituency candidate, Somnath Bharti.

He will now take over from
Shelly Oberoi, an AAP leader who assumed the MCD office in 2023. However, Khichi’s term will last only five months.

As per MCD rules, mayoral elections are held every April, covering a five-year term with single-year tenures rotated annually.

In the first year, the position is reserved for a woman. In the second year, a candidate from the “open” category is selected, followed by a reserved category candidate in the third year, with the final two years reverting to the “open” category.

However, this year’s mayoral election was marked by a seven-month deadlock between the ruling AAP and the BJP, leading to repeated disruptions in the MCD House and delaying the elections, which were originally set for April.

Due to this political conflict, the new Mayor’s term has been reduced to just five months.