Delhi Mayor Poll Delayed For Third Time Amid AAP, BJP Ruckus

After two months since the MCD elections, Delhi is yet to get a mayor as the poll to elect the city's mayor, deputy mayor, and Standing Committee members was delayed for the third time.

New Delhi: The Delhi Municipal House was on Monday adjourned without electing a mayor for the third time after failing to complete the poll in two previous attempts. Elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members will be held simultaneously, Satya Sharma, the Presiding Officer Of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), said.

The House witnessed an uproar after the Presiding announced that the nominated members will also be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor, and Standing Committee members, news agency PTI reported.

The MCD House assembled around 11:30 am, after a delay of half an hour. She announced that elections to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor, and Standing Committee members would be held simultaneously.

"Aldermen will be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members," Sharma said, as per PTI.

The announcement drew protests from AAP councillors and Party leader Mukesh Goel said aldermen can't vote.

To this, Sharma said, "People have sent you here to serve them, let the election be held." Following this, the House was adjourned briefly.

This is the third session of the House after the December 4 municipal polls. The previous two sessions were held on January 6 and January 24. They were adjourned by the presiding officer without electing a mayor following a ruckus and acrimonious exchanges between the members of the BJP and the AAP.

According to the DMC Act 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to be elected in the very first House that convenes after the civic polls. The first two sessions that were held on January 6 and January 24 were adjourned by the presiding officer without electing a mayor after a ruckus between the members of the BJP and the AAP.

The AAP has nominated Shelly Oberoi as its Mayor candidate while the BJP's candidate is Rekha Gupta.

The nominees for the post of deputy mayor are -- Aaley Mohammad Iqbal (AAP) and Kamal Bagri (BJP). Besides the mayor and deputy mayor, six members of the MCD's standing committee are also slated to be elected during the municipal House. 

Ruckus Over Delhi Mayor Election

While the first session of the 250-member House after the December 4 poll went in vain, the nominated members and elected members took oath in the second session. Following the oath-taking exercise, Presiding Officer and BJP councillor Satya Sharma adjourned the second municipal House until the next date.

In an appeal to Lt Governor V K Saxena, AAP leader, and party MLA Atishi had asked to ensure the election for mayor, deputy mayor, and six members of the standing committee is held at the earliest.

The civic polls were held on December 4 and the counting of votes took place on December 7. AAP ended the BJP's 15-year rule in the civic body and emerged as a winner in the polls, bagging 134 wards.

The BJP managed to win 104 wards to finish second, while the Congress ended up with nine seats.

The post of mayor in Delhi sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second for the open category, the third for the reserved category, and the remaining two also being in the open category.

READ | After Delayed Polls, No Sign Of Delhi Mayor — Timeline Of Overstretched 2022 MCD Election