No decision on Delhi Mayor amid ruckus in House

| Updated: 06 February, 2023 3:04 pm IST

Two months after Municipal Corporation elections in the national capital, Delhi will continue to have no mayor to handle the affairs of the civic body. A third attempt to elect a Delhi Mayor failed on Monday as commotion erupted after a change in rules that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleges will favour the BJP, which recently lost civic poll elections following 15 year uninterrupted reign.

AAP said it will now seek intervention of the county’s apex court seeking a Supreme Court court-monitored mayoral polls within 10 days. Though AAP has a majority in the corporation after its big win in the December civic polls, the party is apprehensive that a secret ballot and cross-voting could change the outcome. “We want the election and we want Delhi to have a mayor,” said AAP’s Atishi, accusing the BJP of deliberately stalling the process with their protests.

“The right of nominated persons to vote at the meetings of the corporation is specifically barred under Article 243 R,” added Athishi.

Earlier today at a press conference Atishi said, “The members of media were witness to how councillors of BJP created a ruckus in the house to stall mayoral elections. Today, also they intend to repeat the same thing.”

AAP has strongly opposed voting rights for the aldermen nominated by the Lieutenant Governor, who is the Centre’s representative in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal’s party alleges that these members are inclined to support the BJP.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, ” BJP wants to run the house with hooliganism. Everyone saw that the councillors of AAP kept sitting quietly, and the councillors of BJP kept creating ruckus without any issue. Today it’s been 2 months, BJP is not allowing Delhi to get Mayor. BJP is running MCD through officers even after Mandate to AAP by Delhi.”

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, “BJP is starting this dangerous trend! Delhi gave mandate against BJP, then dishonesty by LG If you lose the Lok Sabha elections, will you not let anyone become the PM? If you lose the assembly elections, then you will not let anyone become the CM? To save the loot of 15 years, they are not allowing the election of Mayor.”

AAP won 134 of 250 wards in the first municipal election held after the merging of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) last year. The BJP finished second with 104 seats.

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