India, April 22 -- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday withdrew from the forthcoming mayoral elections after accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of threatening corporators to defect, in a move that gave the Capital's ruling party control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and power over all arms of the city's governance.

"The BJP now has the majority in the MCD house. We will not contest the election as we do not believe in the politics of horse-trading. BJP should form the MCD government and show to people how its triple engine government can deliver," senior AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister Atishi said.

The BJP dismissed the allegations and fielded Raja Iqbal Singh, who was mayor of the erstwhile North Delhi M...