BJP nominates Raja Iqbal Singh for Delhi Mayor, Jai Bhagwan Yadav for deputy as AAP bows out of race

NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP has nominated Raja Iqbal Singh as the candidate for the mayoral position and Jai Bhagwan Yadav for the deputy mayor position. Both will file nominations today at the municipal secretary office for the mayoral elections scheduled for April 25.
Following AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj's announcement that their party would not contest in the mayoral election, the BJP nominees are set to be elected unopposed. Monday is the last day for filing nominations.
Raja Iqbal Singh previously served as mayor in the north corporation and is currently the leader of the opposition, along with Yadav, who serves as deputy leader of the opposition.
AAP's prospects in the election were already limited, as BJP's councillor count grew from 104 in 2022 to 117 in 2025. BJP's position was further strengthened with the addition of 11 BJP MLAs as MCD members.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, AAP Delhi Chief Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "BJP used various persuasive methods, including incentives and intimidation, to make AAP councillors switch to their party. As a result, AAP has withdrawn from the mayoral election. The BJP is now free to establish its mayor and standing committee. With their triple engine govt in place, the BJP should now fulfil their commitments without offering any justifications."
Praveen Shankar Kapoor, spokesperson for Delhi BJP, said that the AAP was very well aware that it couldn't win the elections and has lost the majority in the Delhi Municipal Corporation.
"The party has also stopped both the administrative and maintenance work of the Municipal Corporation in the last two and a half years. Now the party is pretending to renounce, and it is possible that from here onwards, AAP and Congress form an alliance," he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva has announced that the LOP Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh will be the party's mayoral candidate, and the party will pitch Jai Bhagwan Yadav as the deputy mayoral candidate.
At a press conference alongside Bhardwaj, Opposition Leader in the Delhi assembly Atishi stated that the BJP made all attempts to establish govts through unethical means throughout Delhi.
"In Delhi, BJP was anticipating defeat. In 2022, an act was brought in the Parliament to unify the MCD, which delayed the elections, and then the delimitation was carried out to favour BJP. MCD election was held along with Gujarat assembly polls... BJP still lost the elections."
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