Gautam Puri councillor secured 130 out of the 227 votes.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gautam Puri councillor Satya Sharma won the last vacant seat in the Standing Committee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi after defeating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate, Hema, in the election held on Tuesday.

Ms. Sharma secured 130 out of 227 votes. Ninety-five votes were cast in Ms. Hema’s favour and two votes were declared invalid. Congratulating his party candidate, Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said, “Her extensive political experience would certainly benefit the corporation.”

He also praised the Opposition party candidate for putting up “a strong fight”.

The poll was necessitated after BJP’s Gajendra Daral vacated the seat following his win from the Mundka Assembly seat in February this year.

With Tuesday’s election, the 18-member Standing Committee, the MCD’s main decision-making arm with executive powers to approve projects worth over ₹5 crore, has attained full strength with 11 members from the ruling BJP and the remaining from AAP. The panel is likely to become operational following the election of its chairperson and deputy chairperson, paving the way for the resumption of several big-ticket projects that were stalled due to the non-formation of the committee for two years owing to a plea in the Supreme Court, which was withdrawn this year.

Nominations for the two posts on the panel will be accepted until Friday, said a senior official.

The BJP’s victory in the Standing Committee polls follows its wins in the mayoral polls held in April.