The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Mahesh Khichi was elected as the next mayor of Delhi on Thursday, marking a significant victory for the ruling party in the national capital ahead of the Assembly polls due early next year. As Khichi took his seat, the jubilant AAP councillors filled the air with the "Jai Bhim" slogan, celebrating the victory of the Dalit candidate in a tough contest. Khichi defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kishan Lal by a wafer-thin margin of three votes, receiving 133 votes to the latter's 130. Two votes were declared invalid, with a total of 256 votes cast for the mayor's post. Following its defeat in the mayoral poll contest, the BJP withdrew from the race for deputy mayor, clearing the way for the AAP's Ravinder Bharadwaj to secure the position unopposed. The saffron party had fielded Nita Bisht for the deputy mayor's post. "Many congratulations to Mahesh Kumar ji on being elected as the new Mayor of Delhi. Work diligently for the people, take forward the