In a significant development, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Monday (November 4) cleared the air over the final conduction of the mayor elections that have been stalled for a long time. In a statement released, the civic body announced that the polls for the same will be held on November 14 since the legal and administrative lacunae have been sorted out.
What led to the delay in the polls
It is pertinent to note that the elections for the mayoral position have faced an unexpected snag due to administrative and legal issues. The elections continued to be extended for a long time due to the inability to appoint the presiding officer, which could have only been done with the necessary consultation of the Chief Minister. However, during that time, as the then-CM Arvind Kejriwal was in judicial custody, the Lieutenant Governor declined to move forward with the election process. The delay had led to repeated protests and disruptions in the MCD House by opposition councillors.
However, now after seven months of delay, the poll procedure will be held on November 14.
About the elections
According to the MCD rules, elections for the mayor's post are held annually in April, with a five-year tenure comprising five single-year terms on a rotational basis.
The first year is reserved for women, the second for the open category, the third for the reserved category, and the final two years again for the open category. Now, as this has been the third mayoral term, the post will be reserved for a Dalit candidate. However, due to the delay, his appointment will be for just five months.
About the candidates
For the mayor and the deputy mayor post, the AAP announced Devnagar ward councillor Mahesh Khichi and Aman Vihar councillor Ravinder Bhardwaj as its candidate respectively. Meanwhile, the BJP named Shakurpur councillor Kishan Lal as its mayoral candidate, along with selecting Sadatpur councillor Nita Bisht for deputy mayor.
