Prithvi Raj Sawhney is new mayor of Delhi

Prithvi Raj Sawhney, a councillor of the ruling BJP in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a former teacher, was today elected the mayor of Delhi defeating his nearest rival Tulsi Ram Sablania of Congress by 90 votes. While Sawhney, who represents Janak Puri (South) ward in the MCD House, secured 178 votes, Congress candidate and East Patel Nagar councillor Sablania managed only 88 votes in the elections held during a meeting of MCD. BSP's Hari Chand Kardam had withdrawn before the race.Sawhney, who will be the 24th mayor of the city, will replace incumbent Kanwar Sain, also a BJP councillor. The BJP has an overwhelming majority in the 272-member MCD House, the strength of which has come down to 271 after the Majnu Ka Tila seat held by BJP's Satish Kumar was declared vacant by the Delhi High Court. The strength of BJP is 172, followed by Congress (73), BSP (16) and Independents (10). Fourteen MLAs and eight MPs are also eligible to vote in the mayoral election.Sawhney, who was the chairman of MCD Education Committee, was also a councillor earlier from 1997-2000 and held various important posts including that of chairman of MCD standing committee, conservancy, sanitation and engineering committeeand health committee.He taught in Jammu College and in different schools of directorate of education for 30 years and had been the president of Delhi Adhyapak Parishad.