AAP Breakaway Group IVP Set To Merge With BJP
The IVP was formed in May last year when more than a dozen AAP councillors, led by Mukesh Goel, broke away from the party, disrupting elections to zonal and standing committees.
New Delhi: The Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), formed by a breakaway faction of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is set to merge with the BJP on Friday, nearly a year after its formation.
The IVP was constituted after 16 councillors led by Mukesh Goel split from the AAP following its defeat in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. The merger is expected to take place at the Delhi BJP office in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and state unit president Harsh Malhotra.
BJP sources confirmed that all 16 IVP councillors will join the party. A party functionary said the move was aimed at aligning their constituencies with the pace of development under the BJP-led administration.
IVP leaders said their decision was driven by the need to accelerate development in their areas, citing disparities with other parts of the city.
Sources in the BJP said the merger followed discussions at the senior leadership level, after which both sides reached a consensus.
According to party sources, the inducted councillors are likely to be nominated to zonal committees and the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The development comes ahead of elections scheduled on July 15 for six vacant posts in the MCD standing committee and for chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of its 12 zonal committees.
The IVP was formed in May last year when more than a dozen AAP councillors, led by Mukesh Goel, broke away from the party, disrupting elections to zonal and standing committees.
In the 250-member MCD House, the BJP currently has 123 councillors, while the AAP has 100 and the Congress nine. With the merger, the BJP’s strength is expected to rise to 139, giving it a clear majority.