New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS): In a major setback to the Aam Aadmi Party, BJP candidate Kausar Jahan was elected as the new chairman of the Delhi Haj Committee.

The committee organises Islamic pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.

Kausar Jahan is the second woman to hold this position. Former Delhi Congress chief Tajdar Babar was the only woman till now to have held this post.

Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena had on January 6 constituted the Delhi State Haj Committee for a period of three years. The Delhi State Haj Committee comprises one member of Parliament, two members from Delhi Legislative Assembly, one Muslim member from the local body, one Muslim member with the knowledge of Muslim theology and one Muslim member from any Muslim Voluntary organisation.

The members of the committee include BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, AAP MLAs Abdul Rehman and Haji Yunus, Congress MCD councillor Naziya Danish. Apart from these, Mohammad Saad was nominated as an expert in Islamic theology and law, while Kausar Jahan was nominated as a Muslim member from Muslim Voluntary Organisation.

Out of total, only three votes were cast in the Haj Committee election. Two members, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, nominated Mohammad Saad voted for the BJP-backed candidate, Kausar Jahan. While two members, AAP MLAs Abdul Rehman and Haji Yunus, boycotted the election and Congress councillor Nazia Danish remained absent.