Delhi MCD: Who is Rekha Gupta, BJP's Mayor candidate against AAP’s Shelly Oberoi?

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD): BJP has fielded its Shalimar Bagh councillor, Rekha Gupta, as its Delhi Mayor candidate on the last day of filing nominations. She will take on AAP's Shelly Oberoi in the January 6 elections.

The BJP has also named Kamal Bagri (from Ram Nagar ward) as deputy mayor candidate as well as Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Gajendra Daral and Pankaj Luthra for standing committee member posts, said Delhi BJP media cell head Harish Khurana. 

Who is Rekha Gupta?

Rekha Gupta is a three-time councillor from Shalimar Bagh. She has been associated with BJP since her early college days. Gupta held many important responsibilities in MCD. The BJP Mayor candidate, Gupta, has been a general secretary and member of BJP's national executive.

She was the president of the Delhi University Students Union from 1996 to 1997. She has a stronghold in North Delhi's Pitampura area.  

How Mayor of Delhi is elected?

The election of the mayor is held through a secret ballot and councillors are free to vote for any candidate since the anti-defection law does not apply to it. The voters for the election of mayor, include 250 elected councillors, seven Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha MPs from Delhi and 15 MLAs of Legislative Assembly.

The Delhi Assembly Speaker has nominated 13 AAP and one BJP MLAs to the MCD.

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Seats in Delhi MCD 

The total votes for mayoral election are 274. The AAP has a clear majority in the 250-member MCD House. The AAP ended the BJP's 15-year-rule in the MCD winning 134 of the 250 wards in the civic body polls earlier this month. The BJP managed to win 104 wards.

The Congress has nine councillors while two others are independents in the MCD House.

The election for the post of mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee members will take place on January 6. There are 18 members in the standing committee of the MCD out of which 12 are elected from the zones and six from the House.

(With inputs from PTI)