Confident of getting MCD mayor's chair as numbers are on our side: AAP

AAP wrested power from BJP in the high-stakes civic polls in Delhi, even as some leaders of the saffron party claimed that its member could be elected to the top post

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said it was confident that its councillor would be elected as the next mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi since the numbers were "on their side".

Sources in the party said they were also keeping a keen eye on the BJP.

This comes after senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged that the BJP had made attempts to poach its newly elected councilors.

The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the BJP in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital, even as some leaders of the saffron party claimed that its member could be elected to the top post.

The municipal polls were held on December 4 and the AAP bagged 134 of the 250 wards, emerging as a clear winner.

Amid all this, the party even had plans to take its councillors to Punjab to ensure that they are not "poached" by the BJP but the plan was cancelled, sources claimed.

The MCD will be approaching Delhi LG VK Saxena to seek a date on which the Municipal House can be convened so that the councillors can take oath, and then a mayor can be elected.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs representing constituencies which comprise wholly or partly the area of the corporation, and one-fifth of the members of the Delhi Assembly representing constituencies, to be nominated by the Speaker, and chairpersons of various municipal committees can vote in a mayoral poll, according to the rules.

Ten aldermen are nominated to the MCD by the Lt Governor, he added.

There is no anti-defection law in the context of the civic body here.

"Since in the first year, a woman is supposed to be the mayor, one of our winning women candidates will be elected. We have the numbers on our side with 134 councillors, our MLAs and three Rajya Sabha MPs. We also feel that Congress councillors might also vote in our favour," a source claimed.

The post of mayor sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second for open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two also being in the open category.

Poll authorities had earlier said the entire process of the election will be completed on December 15.

Experts and election watchers have said that the mayoral poll will have to be held soon after the poll process ends.