In a tightly contested election, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Mahesh Khinchi has been elected as Delhi's new mayor, narrowly defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Khinchi, a councillor representing Dev Nagar in Karol Bagh, won with 133 votes, just three votes ahead of his BJP rival, who garnered 130 votes. Of the 265 total votes cast, two were invalid, securing Khinchi's victory.

This mayoral win is a significant achievement for AAP, allowing the party to retain control of the mayor’s office amid its ongoing rivalry with the BJP in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Khinchi, who succeeds his AAP predecessor Shelly Oberoi, will be the third mayor from the scheduled caste community in the capital’s history.

The voting took place at the MCD House, with senior leaders from both parties in attendance, including AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta, as well as all seven BJP MPs from Delhi. Adding to the day’s political tension, Congress councillor Sabila Begum resigned from her party shortly before the vote, publicly announcing her decision to support AAP’s candidate. Her husband shared her resignation letter on social media platform X.

The mayoral election, initially set for April, was delayed due to disputes between AAP and BJP leaders, likely resulting in a shorter term for Khinchi. This victory strengthens AAP’s standing in Delhi's local governance amid a prolonged struggle for influence in the MCD.