The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to receive a significant boost in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), with all 16 councillors of the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) expected to join the party on Friday, the final date for filing nominations for the Standing Committee elections.
Sources indicated that the induction would take place in the presence of Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, following the finalisation of discussions between the two political sides.
This development occurs just over a year after the IVP was established in May 2025 by a group of 15 rebel councillors who had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The outfit is led by six-time councillor Mukesh Goel, alongside Himani Jain and Hemchand Goel in key leadership roles. The party subsequently increased its strength to 16 councillors.
According to sources, under the arrangement reached between the two parties, the IVP councillors are likely to be accommodated within various zonal committees as well as the Standing Committee of the MCD.
With the arrival of these 16 councillors, the BJP’s strength in the 250-member House is expected to rise from 122 to 138, taking the party comfortably past the majority threshold. Meanwhile, the AAP currently holds 102 seats in the MCD, with the Congress holding nine and the Forward Bloc holding one.
The initial split resulting in the creation of IVP took place just a few months after the AAP lost the Delhi Assembly elections held in February 2025, creating a fundamental shift in the political scenario within the council. Problems relating to the conduct of elections occurred as a result of the splinter party, resulting in BJP regaining its control over the mayoral office and having an edge in the Standing Committee.
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