AAP not contesting April 25 Mayor election due to fear of defeat: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday slammed the AAP for conceding defeat and deciding to abstain from the April 25 Mayoral elections, claiming the decision appeared linked to infighting and fear of political embarrassment.

Reacting to Delhi AAP convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj's announcement that the party will abstain from the mayoral contest and not field a candidate, CM Gupta said, “It's good that they have realised well in time that the wind is blowing against them.”

“Today, AAP councillors and leaders are upset with their own leaders. The party is fast losing ground in Delhi, and people don't trust them anymore,” she said.

CM Gupta also hit out at the AAP for adopting double standards on election outcomes. “If they win any election, they trumpet it as a sign of their popularity. If they lose an election, then they start blaming the EVM and the entire system,” said CM Gupta on the sidelines of an event.

In the previous election in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the AAP won 134 wards, the BJP was victorious in 104, and the Congress and Independents secured only 12. However, the party-wise situation in the MCD House has changed after a dozen councillors' election to the Parliament and the Delhi Assembly.

Desertions by AAP and Congress councillors have also boosted the BJP's strength in the Municipal House, improving its chances of winning in the upcoming Mayoral elections.

At present, the House has 125 AAP councillors, 115 BJP, nine Congress and one Independent. During the last Mayoral elections, Mahesh Khichi of the AAP won by a slender margin due to cross-voting by AAP councillors.

Earlier, speaking to mediapersons at the inauguration of Sankalp Girls Hostel at Dhirpur in Adarsh ​​Nagar for civil services aspirants, CM Gupta highlighted the importance of education in women-led development.

“The greatest donation is the donation of education. And when it comes to the top educational field like UPSC preparation, if someone is being supported in that, there can be nothing greater,” she said, highlighting the objective of the hostel to support women civil aspirants.

“This project needs to be expanded further. The reach that Sankalp already has, across the country, should be extended. Through this platform, I once again want to thank our Prime Minister, who has always emphasised women-led-development and women-led-government,” she said.