Delhi: AAP’s Shelly Oberoi wins mayoral poll, beats BJP’s Rekha Gupta 150-116

After long anticipation, Delhi’s mayoral elections were finally held on Wednesday, with Aam Aadmi Party’s Shelly Oberoi winning the polls and becoming the new mayor of the capital city after beating Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rekha Gupta by 34 votes, according to media reports.

Out of the 266 votes cast at the elections at the Civic Center, Oberoi had 150 votes to her name while Gupta could only accrue 116.

As the preceding three attempts at an election were delayed due to a commotion caused about the voting rights of nominated members, the polls on Wednesday marked the fourth, and the first successful, attempt at Delhi’s mayoral polls.

The Supreme Court on February 17 mandated the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to issue a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of elections for the mayor, deputy mayor and the members of the standing committee of the civic body.

Following the orders from the apex court, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena, last week,  granted his approval to convene the municipal House for holding mayoral polls.

A former Delhi University professor, Oberoi is a first-time councillor who won elections from the East Patel Nagar ward in December last year.

Oberoi was also named the vice president of Aam Aadmi Party’s Mahila Morcha back in 2020.