The controversy started after the Mayor of Delhi declared a vote in the election of the Standing Committee as invalid.
A fight broke out between councilors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) office on Friday. The fight began when Mayor Shelly Oberoi declared a vote invalid in the election of six members of a key municipal committee. Voting was held in the early hours of Friday for the election of six members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Body. While the BJP accused the mayor of favoritism and obstructing the counting of votes, Ms Oberoi insisted that the result be declared without the invalid vote.
Why is this one vote so important?
This is a crucial vote for the BJP, which may decide the fate of the candidate. The BJP has accused the mayor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of deliberately declaring the vote invalid.
“They are doing it deliberately.” Our municipal secretary is saying that it is not illegal but they are not listening to him. This vote will help their candidate win and ours will lose. This is the root cause of the fight,” a BJP corporator told NDTV.
Election of important standing committee
Majority of the 250 elected MCD councilors cast their votes on Friday as fresh polling is being held to elect six members of the civic body’s standing committee. The polling started at around 11.15 am.
Fresh polling is being held to elect six members of the highest decision-making body of the civic body on the orders of Delhi Mayor Shaili Oberoi.
The BJP had demanded fresh elections to elect six members of the panel.
Seven candidates are in the fray for six members of the Standing Committee. AAP has nominated Amil Malik (Shri Ram Colony ward), Raminder Kaur (Fateh Nagar ward), Mohini Jinwal (Sunder Nagri ward) and Sarika Chowdhary (Daryaganj ward). Kamaljit Sehrawat (Dwarka-B ward) and Pankaj Luthra (Jhilmil ward) are contesting for BJP. Independent councilor Gajendra Singh Daral, who later joined the BJP, is also a candidate.
What happened in MCD house today?
After the mayor has declared a vote invalid, the House fell into chaos, Amid sloganeering, corporators from both sides punched, kicked, slapped and punched each other. Some councilors’ kurtas were seen torn. One of them also fell.
The BJP accused the AAP, which won the civic polls earlier this month, of running the MCD House arbitrarily. AAP leader Atishi hit back and said that BJP has given one more proof of hooliganism today. “Their leaders attacked the mayor, a woman, who had to flee the MCD house to save her life.”