New Delhi, July 10 -- In a significant political development ahead of key civic decisions in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), all 16 councillors of the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), led by former AAP leader Mukesh Goyal, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. The merger raises the BJP's strength in the 250-member MCD House to 139 councillors, further consolidating its position in the civic body.
The merger was announced at the Delhi BJP state office by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra in the presence of Mukesh Goyal and the 16 councillors. Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Leader of the House Jaibhagwan Yadav and other BJP leaders were also present. The IVP was formed on May 17, 2025, after 16 councillors quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the leadership of Mukesh Goyal.
Welcoming the merger, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the induction of the councillors would strengthen the government's development agenda in Delhi. "I assure all the councillors and the workers who have joined the BJP along with them that they will receive full respect within the BJP family and every opportunity to serve," she said.
The Chief Minister said she had worked with several of the councillors in the past and was familiar with their capabilities. She added that residents of their wards would now benefit from the development initiatives of what she described as the BJP's "triple-engine government."
Gupta also linked the merger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. "Only a few days ago, an entire political party in West Bengal accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and joined the BJP, and today the merger of the Indraprastha Vikas Party into the BJP in Delhi once again reflects the Prime Minister's growing popularity and the public's confidence in his leadership," she said. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the merger would directly connect nearly 11 to 12 lakh residents across the 16 wards with the BJP government's development programmes.
"The merger of the Indraprastha Vikas Party with the BJP has been inspired by the desire of its 16 councillors to connect the people of their wards with the all-round development being carried out by the Rekha Gupta Government under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I welcome everyone into the BJP family," Malhotra said. He also claimed that the Rekha Gupta government had provided a Rs.1 crore development fund to every MCD councillor, irrespective of party affiliation, and said the initiative had helped improve civic management during the ongoing monsoon. Explaining the reasons behind joining the BJP, Mukesh Goyal criticised the AAP's tenure in the MCD.
"When the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, I was appointed Leader of the House in the Municipal Corporation in 2023. However, that tenure proved to be a dark chapter for us because no developmental work was carried out; it was only marked by political rhetoric," Goyal said. He alleged that councillors did not receive development funds during the AAP's tenure and claimed that the BJP had extended cooperation after the IVP was formed. He said the decision to merge with the BJP was taken "unanimously and unconditionally."
The 16 councillors who joined the BJP include Mukesh Goyal, Hemchand Goyal, Devendra Kumar, Usha Sharma, Dinesh Kumar, Suman Anil Rana, Manisha Jasveer Karala, Babi Ji, Runakshi Sharma, Rajesh Ladi, Sahib Kumar, Rakhi Yadav, Kamal Bhardwaj, Leena Kumar, Himani Jain and Ashok Pandey. With their induction, the BJP has further strengthened its numerical advantage in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.