Delhi: AAP Claims Victory In MCD's Standing Committee Election

MCD Standing Committee Results: AAP claimed it bagged 138 votes (it has 134 councillors in the House) and at least 5 BJP councillors supported the party.

MCD Standing Committee Results. ( Image Source :PTI )

MCD Standing Committee Results: AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj announced the party won the poll to elect six members of the MCD's standing committee. AAP claimed it bagged 138 votes (it has 134 councillors in the House) and at least 5 BJP councillors supported the party.

आम आदमी पार्टी के पास 134 पार्षद थे, एक सुबह भाजपा में गए।
मगर आज आप को 138 वोट मिले हैं । मतलब भाजपा के 5 पार्षदों ने आम आदमी पार्टी के समर्थन में वोट दी।

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) February 24, 2023

Earlier today, the polling to elect six members of the MCD’s apex decision-making Standing Committee concluded with 242 out of 250 councillors casting their vote.

The names of the council members who abstained from voting were Mandeep Singh, Ariba Khan, Nazia Danish, Sameer Ahmad, Shagufta Chaudhary Zubair, Sabila Begum, Naziya Khatoon, and Zarif, according to a municipal official.

This comes after newly-elected Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi consented to the BJP's demand for new Committee elections.

The Standing Committee elections began on Wednesday evening, just hours after AAP's Shelly Oberoi was chosen as Delhi's next mayor. The House fell into full chaos, with AAP and BJP councillors exchanging punches and, at one point, tossing water bottles, bananas, and voting boxes at one another, necessitating over a dozen adjournments.

The BJP had said that the main cause of the conflict was the decision to permit voters in these polls to bring their phones and pens inside the voting station despite forbidding it during the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections. The Standing Committee has executive authority over the civic body, even if the mayor is its official leader.

Importance Of Standing Committe

The Standing Committee has executive authority over the civic body, even if the mayor is its official leader.

The 18-member Standing Committee has the authority to draught rules, discuss and finalise policies that must be implemented, designate subcommittees (to address topics like education, the environment, parking, etc.), and approve project funding.

The remaining 12 members of this committee will be chosen by ward committees once the council elects six of them.

The Committee elects its own chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. For any political party to have influence over the policy and financial choices of the Corporation, a clear majority in the Committee is essential.