New Delhi: The mayor elections for the Delhi civic body have been postponed after huge chaos broke out at the civic centre between the leaders of AAP and BJP. The swearing-in of councillors has also been postponed amid continuous strife between the BJP and AAP leaders that led to a huge ruckus in the MCD house.
Protem speaker Satya Sharma adjourned the house saying that the swearing-in of four nominated councillors has been done and will remain valid while rest will be sworn-in during the next sitting of the house.
The Aam Aadmi Party is questioning Satya Sharma's swearing-in as protem speaker, not Mukesh Goyal of AAP. However, Sharma took the oath peacefully but the chaos began when she first called nominated councillors for swearing-in and not the elected councillors.
AAP resisted the decision saying it is "unconstitutional". The entire uproar has halted the Delhi mayor election process for which the voting was supposed to take place.
Presiding officer Satya Sharma told ANI that she appealed to everyone for normal proceedings in the house but "they want to create a ruckus and climb on the desk."
"I appealed for the normal proceedings but they want to create a ruckus & climb on the desk. If they sit peacefully, we are ready for the swearing-in of everybody", she said.
BJP And AAP React
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari reacted to the chaos and said, "Why the AAP is scared...AAP has been defeated morally...does it think that its councillors won't be supporting their party?" quoted ANI.
On the other hand, AAP councilor Praveen Kumar accused BJP of hooliganism.
"Swearing-in of the nominated councillors was being held first. A ruckus broke out when we objected to it & asked that the swearing-in of elected councillors should be held first. They (BJP) threw a moment," he said.
About The Elections
Notably, the AAP has fielded a first-time councillor from East Patel Nagar Shelly Oberoi as its mayoral candidate, while Aaley Mohammed Iqbal, a councillor from Chandni Mahal ward, will contest for the post of deputy mayor.
On the other hand, the BJP has fielded Rekha Gupta and Kamal Bagdi as its candidates for elections to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
Gupta is a three-term councillor from Shalimar Bagh and Bagdi was elected for the first time from Ram Nagar.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena nominated a BJP leader as the temporary Speaker to preside over the mayoral election on Friday, escalating the power tussle between Saxena and Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.
Expressing "dismay and consternation", Kejriwal accused Saxena of bypassing his government and of "blatantly unconstitutional, colourable exercise of power".