Delhi Mayoral polls postponed yet again amid ruckus over aldermen voting rights; AAP to approach SC

The high-octane political drama unfolded inside the Delhi Civic Centre on Monday as the House met for a third time this month to elect the mayor, only to be deferred till the next date due to ruckus over the nominated members being permitted to vote.

The House, which was first summoned on January 6 and then on January 25, had ended without a result due to unprecedented scenes emerging after the nominated members were allowed the right to vote for the post of mayor, deputy mayor and chairpersons of various standing committees. The Civic Centre summoned for the third time on Monday to elect the mayor, however, no voting could take place due to ruckus and sloganeering and hence the stalemate continued.

The House proceedings began at the Delhi Civic Centre after Presiding officer Satya Sharma arrived and announced that aldermen- nominated members- will be allowed to vote in the process of electing the mayor. However, the House was adjourned after the Aam Aadmi Party members objected to it.

Soon after the House was resumed, the BJP members could be seen sloganeering while also accusing the AAP of attempting to poach its councillors. The House was adjourned owing to the uproar, thus failing to elect the Mayor.

Vijender Gupta, a BJP MLA from Rohini said, "The agenda of AAP is to create anarchy at every possible juncture. For the third time it did not let the House proceedings to go on and are now giving bizarre logic to justify their unconstitutional means. They want to keep MCD suspended to fulfil their political ends."

Following the adjournment, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia held a press conference and slammed the BJP for the disruption in the House and said that the AAP will move Supreme Court against the BJP's alleged bid to stall the mayoral polls.

"The BJP is not letting a peaceful mayoral election to take place. The BJP garnered 104 seats in the MCD elections while the AAP won 134 seats. The people of Delhi gave a clear mandate against the BJP and in favour of the AAP. The AAP councillors objected to presiding officer Satya Sharma's decision to declare that the alderman would vote at the municipality meeting for the mayoral polls," Sisodia said.

Targeting Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Sisodia said, "The presiding officer was nominated illegally by the L-G but still we went ahead with his decision and insisted on a fair voting."

"She (presiding officer) came to the meeting saying that the aldermen will vote. The Article 243R of the Indian Constitution says that in any legislature of a state, the alderman shall not have the right to vote in the meeting of the municipality. The same is written in the MCD Act. The presiding officer also declared that all three elections for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Standing Committee members will be held together. This is unconstitutional," the Deputy CM said.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the presiding officer Satya Sharma is taking orders from the BJP.

"In the last 15 years, they have looted the Delhi Municipal Corporation and want to continue doing that," he said.

"That is why we are taking this issue to the Supreme Court in the interest of a legal, constitutional and peaceful mayoral election in Delhi," Singh added.

Earlier, AAP Councillors had written a letter to MCD's Presiding Officer demanding the debarment of nominated councillors from voting in the election of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee.

"We are the elected Councillors to MCD winning on the symbol of Aam Aadmi Party. On 06.02.2023, the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Standing Committee member shall take place as per the direction of the Competent Authority," the letter read.

Citing the Constitution, the councillors wrote that the nominated members are not entitled to vote.

"This is to reiterate that as per Article 243 R of the Constitution of India and as given in the Proviso to Section 3 (b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the nominated members (Alderman) are not entitled to vote in the above-mentioned elections," the letter said.

The municipal elections in Delhi were held on 4 December and the results were announced on 7 December, in which the Aam Aadmi Party won a maximum of 134 seats out of 250.

( With inputs from ANI )