After three unsuccessful attempts, Delhi is set to get its new mayor on February 16, according to officials.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – who have been at loggerheads over several issues in the recent past – have agreed to hold the next session of the municipal house on February 16.
According to officials, the AAP had proposed two dates – February 13 and February 14 to the LG for the mayoral elections. LG Sexena agreed to February 16, which was subsequently accepted by the AAP.
Three successive sessions of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were marred by ruckus, manhandling, and allegations of highhandedness. The three sessions were held on January 6, January 22, and February 6 to elect the mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee members.
After the last session, AAP members accused the opposition BJP of creating a ruckus with the intention to defer the elections. However, BJP councillors had said that it was the AAP which does not want the election to be organised.
On Tuesday, both parties held demonstrations against each other.
The AAP – which has dethroned the BJP after 15 years in the Delhi civic body – also moved to the Supreme Court, seeking a court-monitored election.
Delhi deputy CM and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, “The ruckus created by the BJP councillors during the mayoral elections shows that BJP neither follows the laws of the country nor the Constitution. They just want to run the MCD house with hooliganism. Now AAP will move the Supreme Court and will request the court to get the elections conducted in a lawful manner.”
“The BJP is scared that if the elections happen, the AAP mayor will be elected and all the misdeeds and corruption of the BJP will be exposed. The AAP mayor will ensure the development of Delhi and make it clean, but BJP is not letting the mayoral elections happen,” he had added.