New Delhi

BJP's Raja Iabal was elected Delhi's new mayor on Friday as the saffron party returned to power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after two years.

Iqbal defeated Congress candidate Mandeep Singh to grab the top civic body post. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted the mayoral election.

As Singh took his seat, BJP councillors filled the air with chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai.

Singh defeated Mandeep Singh (from Nangloi Ward 47) by securing 133 out of 142 votes. The BJP lost two votes due to the absence of MP Manoj Tiwari, while one vote was declared invalid. The Congress received a total of eight votes, while AAP had announced a boycott of the election on Monday.

"We will try to form the Standing Committee within a month and work in coordination with the Delhi government to ensure people face no problems. Our priorities include making parks greener, curbing corruption and pollution, and scrapping user charges immediately," Iqbal Singh said.

He said the party will "motivate" teachers, provide funds for students' uniforms, and improve school infrastructure.

"The people of Delhi have shown faith in Prime Minister Modi and the BJP… We are committed to serving the city through the MCD and delivering on our promises. All eligible contractual workers under BMP will be regularised as per rules," he said.

Raja Iqbal Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the MCD and earlier served as the Mayor of North MCD.

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He hails from a family with strong Akali Dal connections. His father-in-law was a councillor from the GTB Nagar constituency, and his brother-in-law was also active in Akali politics.

Iqbal Singh too served as an Akali Dal councillor from GTB Nagar and headed the Civil Lines Zone of the corporation until September 2020.