An official notice issued on Wednesday has announced that the polls to elect the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Delhi will take place on April 26. The notice stated, “The Ordinary April (2024) Meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be held on Friday the 26th April, 2024 at 11.00 am at Aruna Asaf Ali Sabhagar A-Block, 4th Floor, Dr S.P. Mukherjee Civic Centre, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg New Delhi. Election of Mayor and Dy Mayor will also be held in the same meeting.”
Last year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Muhammad Iqbal were re-elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Delhi respectively, after BJP candidates withdrew their nominations.
This development occurs while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in jail in connection with the excise policy case, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21.
The post of mayor in Delhi follows a rotational pattern, with five single-year terms. The first year is reserved for women, the second for the open category, the third for the reserved category, and the remaining two for the open category again. Delhi elects a new mayor at the end of each financial year.
The municipal elections in Delhi took place on December 4, and AAP emerged victorious with 134 seats out of 250. The earlier election for the post of mayor witnessed high drama, with AAP and BJP councillors clashing during meetings. Three attempts to elect the Mayor failed due to disagreements between the two parties. AAP also approached the Supreme Court over the elections. Shelly Oberoi was finally elected as the Mayor of Delhi in the fourth attempt after the disputes were resolved.