BJP enters MCD mayoral poll race; fields GK councillor Shikha Rai

The BJP on Tuesday fielded Shikha Rai and Soni Pandey for the election of the mayor and the deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), despite not having adequate numbers in the House.

Accompanied by Delhi BJP leaders, Rai and Pandey filed their papers for the polls to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor respectively on Tuesday, the last day of filing nominations.

Rai is the councillor from the Greater Kailash-1 ward, while Pandey represents northeast Delhi's Sonia Vihar ward in the civic body.

Earlier, a top Delhi BJP leader had claimed that the saffron party was not likely to contest the polls as there was a "clear mandate" in the favour of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The AAP has re-nominated incumbent mayor Shelly Oberoi and deputy mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal for the posts.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders hoped that the councillors in the MCD will elect Rai.

"The BJP is determined to run a good, clean and strong municipal corporation and we hope that all ...