Delhi: MCD Standing Committee Election To Be Held Today Amid High Voltage AAP Vs LG Drama

The election for the committee's sixth seat was necessitated as it fell vacant after BJP leader Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected as the West Delhi MP.

After a high-voltage drama between Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) that continued till late last night, the election for the last remaining seat on the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)’s Standing Committee was postponed for Friday. LG VK Saxena asked the municipal commissioner to conduct the election to the last vacant seat of the civic body's standing committee at 1 pm on Friday, according to the order issued by Municipal Commissioner Ashwani Kumar.

As per the order, Additional Municipal Commissioner Jitender Yadav has been appointed as a presiding officer of the MCD House meeting to conduct polls. No mobile phone or other electronic gadget will be allowed inside the voting Hall for the sake of the secrecy of the ballot, the order said. 

The election for the committee's sixth seat was necessitated as it fell vacant after BJP leader Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected as the West Delhi MP.

This comes following a day-long drama where Mayor Shelly Oberoi adjourned the polls until October 5, the move that was overturned by LG Saxena later. Oberoi earlier postponed the election to the MCD Standing Committee following disruption over the frisking of the councillors. In late evening, Saxena, however, overturned the postponement of the elections and directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to submit a report by 10 pm.

Saxena instructed to make the deputy mayor the presiding officer for the elections if the mayor refused to hold the elections. In case, the deputy mayor also refuses, the senior most member of the House will preside over the elections, he ordered.

Till 11 pm at night, there was uncertainty over the elections and in the last moment, the MCD officials announced the elections were postponed again. In a late night order, the LG, however, directed the municipal commissioner to hold the election at 1 pm on Friday.

The BJP has asked the MCD commissioner to hold the elections as per law and directions of the Supreme Court. "The anti-incumbency against Arvind Kejriwal is at its peak and the AAP is running away from the election as he is scared his own councillors are going to desert him," Delhi unit president of the party Virendra Sachdeva said in a statement.

He said the BJP will file a contempt petition against the mayor in the court on Friday.