MCD House Party Becomes a Free-For-All

New Delhi: The postponement of the mayoral election caused havoc at the House meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Friday.

April 26 was the planned date for the mayor and deputy mayor elections. However, lieutenant governor VK Saxena called off the event on Thursday, stating that the chief minister’s approval was pending for the choice of the presiding officer.

Disappointed with the LG’s ruling, AAP council members chanted anti-opposition chants close to the Ambedkar monument at the corporate headquarters.

They displayed a copy of the Constitution and an image of Ambedkar later in the House meeting, accusing the BJP of “murdering democracy” and adopting “anti-Dalit” choices.

They also said that by needlessly raising obstacles, the BJP was blocking a candidate from a reserved category from winning the mayoralty.

BJP council members, on the other side, said that AAP was acting in an anti-constitutional manner, was “anti-women,” and was attempting to designate the presiding officer without the chief minister’s approval.

“AAP is overlooking the fact that we have provided a woman councillor the option to serve as deputy mayor and that even our candidate for the mayor’s position comes from the restricted category. Why didn’t the opposition party apply for the necessary permits before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, if they were really serious about holding the polls? The opposition politician and BJP councillor, Raja Iqbal Singh, said, “The party was well aware that the MCC would be enforced before the general elections.”

He said that the AAP council members and the mayor often came up to House sessions over an hour late, demonstrating their lack of concern for the House and the people.

BJP members congregated around mayor Shelly Oberoi’s seat at the start of the House session. She was forty minutes late. They left the Well of the House only when she arrived. Additionally, they had signs with them that demanded the removal of the higher property tax. But according to MCD authorities, there was no increase in property taxes and the rates were the same as they were the previous year.

The mayor accused the LG of “murdering the Constitution” and of using CM Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial incarceration as a “excuse” to postpone the elections as she arrived at the House. “The elections for mayor and deputy mayor in 2019 also went off without a hitch, taking place within the Lok Sabha elections. The elections were postponed because the party is afraid of losing,” she claimed.

The House’s operations were cut short by the commotion, lasting only ten minutes, forcing the mayor to postpone the issues to a later time.

According to MCD authorities, the mayor may also schedule a general House meeting for the following month, but any decisions about policy will only be made after the model code of behavior is removed.

The LG said on Thursday that the mayor and deputy mayor would retain their positions till the elections.

“Shelly Oberoi will lead House proceedings as usual until a new mayor is elected and has the authority to approve proposals, as the LG has already made clear in his note regarding the mayor’s continued term in office (after the Lok Sabha elections).” However, as the mayoral elections have simply been rescheduled, not canceled, no new nominations will be accepted until the new date is decided. The mayor alone shall announce the dates of the next elections. Regarding the Election Commission’s authorization, it is valid till June 5. We won’t need it after that,” the official said.

According to the source, the mayor under the current arrangement may start the process of forming both standing and ward committees after the Lok Sabha elections.

However, the mayor’s seat will no longer be designated for the reserved category and a new nomination procedure will begin if there are no elections held throughout the whole fiscal year. According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the general category is eligible to run for mayor in the fourth and fifth years.

“We are considering this speculation as the LG has made it clear that the file for the appointment of the presiding officer has to come through the CM only, and the process may take time,” added the official.