In an unprecedented move, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will witness a sixth round of mayoral elections during its five-year term, with the law department granting its approval under the unique circumstances, senior municipal officials said. This also means that the next municipal elections will be held in early 2028. The current five-year term of the corporation began in January 2023, midway through the financial year, following the unification of the three erstwhile municipal corporations and the subsequent delimitation exercise.
Rules for Mayoral Elections
A senior municipal official said the corporation normally elects five mayors, each serving a one-year tenure. “The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandates an annual mayoral election. Under Section 35(1) of the Act, the reservation policy applies exclusively to the first and third years. The post is reserved for a female councillor in the first year and for a candidate from the Scheduled Castes in the third year. The Act does not specify any limit on the number of terms or provide for reservation in the sixth cycle,” the official added.
Following the 2022 unification and delimitation exercise, the MCD was divided into 250 municipal wards. In the 2022 municipal elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a majority in the corporation with 134 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 104 seats and the Congress won eight.
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MCD Term and Mayoral History
The first meeting of the newly elected MCD House was held on January 6, 2023. In the initial months, a series of House meetings were marred by uproar, violence and legal disputes, with the matter eventually reaching the Supreme Court. Under Section 4(1) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957, the five-year term of the Corporation starts from the date appointed for its first meeting and continues for five years and no longer.
After a series of failed election meetings, AAP’s Shelly Oberoi was first elected mayor of Delhi on February 22, 2023, and was re-elected for a second consecutive term on April 26, 2023. Following a series of defections and a prolonged legal and political tussle, the BJP secured a majority last year.
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Law Department Clears Next Election
A second official said the law department’s opinion was sought because of these exceptional circumstances. “The fifth mayor for the current term was elected in April 2026. Since the corporation’s term extends until January 2028, the Municipal Secretary’s office was uncertain whether an election for a sixth mayor should be held. There is no precedent for electing a sixth mayor during a five-year term, especially without a resignation by an incumbent mayor,” the official said.
The official quoted above said the department cleared the way for the next mayoral election, specifying that the post would be unreserved. As a result, the corporation will be able to hold elections for the mayor and deputy mayor in 2027. Any councillor, irrespective of gender or caste, will be eligible to file a nomination.