Delhi MCD mayoral polls: The elections to elect the new mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) that were slated for April 26 stands postponed amid the non-appointment of a presiding officer, an official order said on Thursday.
LG note to Delhi Chief Secretary
The civic body postponed the mayoral polls after the Raj Niwas issued a letter on behalf of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, stating that he "does not deem it appropriate to exercise his power as administrator to appoint the presiding officer in absence of the inputs from the Chief Minister".
Mayoral polls postponed
The MCD said even though it got the Election Commission's nod to hold the mayoral polls, the appointment of the presiding officer has not taken place. "Since nomination of the Presiding Officer is mandatory as per Section 77(a) of the DMC Act, 1957 (as amended 2022). Therefore, it may not be possible to conduct elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor as per schedule,” the notice issued by MCD Secretary reads.
AAP on mayoral polls
Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had claimed that the Lieutenant Governor's office has "cancelled" the mayoral elections of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayoral polls are slated for April 26.
However, there has been no immediate response from the Lieutenant Governor's office regarding the allegations made by the AAP regarding the cancellation of mayoral polls.
Addressing a press conference, AAP MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak claimed that for the first time, it has happened that despite permission from the Election Commission, the BJP has cancelled the election. "The BJP got this election cancelled despite there being permission from the Election Commission. The LG office has cancelled the polls saying he works on the advice of the chief minister. There have been previous instances where he has not followed the aid and advice of the Chief Minister," he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party accused that the file concerning the presiding officer was intentionally sent to the Chief Minister's office instead of the Minister of PWD, Saurabh Bharadwaj, as it should have been. "If this file had gone to the PWD Minister, he would have advised on the presiding officer. By not doing so, the government was also accused of bypassing the elected government," he said.
Actually, for the mayor's election, the LG appoints a presiding officer on the advice of the CM, who conducts the mayor's election. But Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is in jail and he cannot advise LG from jail for the presiding officer. To appoint a presiding officer, Delhi's Chief Secretary had moved a file. This file was sent to the CM's office. Due to the CM's absence, this file came back to the Chief Secretary of Delhi. Which the Chief Secretary sent to the LG.
Pathak said that the post of the mayor in the second term is reserved for councillor from reserved category. "People of the Dalit community are calling for this development. This shows that the BJP is anti-Dalit. Even in 2019 when the Lok Sabha polls were on, mayors were elected," he said.
Asked whether the party will approach court in the matter, he responded, "We are discussing with lawyers on the matter and will see what happens. We have seen duch difficulties earlier also but we will ensure that mayor is elected."
Candidates for mayoral elections
AAP has nominated Mahesh Khichi for the position of mayor, while Ravinder Bhardwaj will contest for the role of deputy mayor. 45-year-old Khichi currently serves as the representative of Dev Nagar ward number 84 in the MCD House and has been affiliated with the AAP since its establishment in 2012. He has also been actively involved in the 2011 India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, which eventually paved the way for the formation of the AAP under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Kishan Lal for the post of mayor and Neeta Bisht for the deputy mayor's post.
With 134 councillors out of the 250-member MCD House, the AAP is confident that both of its candidates will secure victory in the upcoming elections without much difficulty. Meanwhile, the BJP holds 104 councillors. Notably, this year, the MCD mayor will be elected from the reserved category.
MCD mayoral polls 2024
This year, the MCD mayor is being elected from the reserved category of councillors. The post of mayor sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second for the open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two again for the open category. With 134 councillors in the 250-member MCD House, the AAP expects both its candidates to get elected to their respective posts with ease. BJP has 104 councillors. The AAP-led MCD is currently being headed by Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal.
