Delhi Mayor Election Updates: In its third attempt, the Delhi Municipal Council convened on Monday to elect a mayor for the city. The last two attempts were foiled after ugly clashes between leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Delhi does not have a mayor after two months of elections
As per the DMC Act 1957, the election of the mayor and deputy mayor is held in the first house after body elections. However, it has been two months since the municipal elections and Delhi is yet to get a mayor.
The first two sessions, held on January 6 and January 24, were adjourned by the presiding officer without electing a mayor following ruckus and heated exchanges between BJP and AAP members.
While the first session of the 250-member house after the December 4 vote was a complete waste, the second session saw the elected members take oath after the nominated members.
After the swearing-in, the presiding officer and BJP councilor Satya Sharma adjourned the second Municipal Corporation House till the next date.
While BJP members walked out of the chamber raising anti-AAP and anti-Arvind Kejriwal slogans, AAP members staged a peaceful protest in the House for nearly five hours.
Before being dispersed from the Civic Centre, senior AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, told reporters after coming out of the House that the BJP was “strangulating democracy” by “not allowing” the mayor’s election to take place. Starting a dangerous” tradition”.
AAP leader and party MLA Atishi appealed to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to ensure the election of the mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee at the earliest.
AAP’s mayoral candidate Shaili Oberoi approached the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) mayoral candidate Dr Shaili Oberoi to withdraw her plea seeking time-bound mayoral elections. Oberoi withdrew his plea after a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said that the MCD elections are to be held on February 6 (Monday).
Now the third session of the House is to be held on Monday for the election of the mayor. The civic polls were held on 4 December and the counting of votes took place on 7 December.
where are you standing
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had emerged as a clear winner in the elections, winning 134 wards and ending the BJP’s 15-year rule in the civic body.
BJP’s stand
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 104 wards to finish second, while the Congress won nine seats in the 250-member municipal house, which will be held on February 6 for the third time after the 2022 civic polls.
BJP’s mayoral candidate is Rekha Gupta. The candidates for the post of Deputy Mayor are Ale Mohammad Iqbal (AAP) and Kamal Bagri (BJP). Apart from the mayor and deputy mayor, six members of the standing committee of the MCD are also to be elected during the municipal house.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) came into existence in April 1958 and its mayor wielded influence and gained a great deal of prestige until 2012 when the corporation was split into three separate civic bodies, each with its own mayor.
But, in 2022, the Center brought a law to integrate North Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (64 wards) into a single entity, though it limited the total Had done it. The number of wards has come down to 250 from the earlier 272 wards.
Thus, after the mayoral election, Delhi will get a mayor for the entire city after a gap of 10 years.
It was also the first municipal election after the redrawing of wards, a practice necessitated after amalgamation.
The post of mayor in Delhi sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year reserved for women, the second for the open category, the third for the reserved category and the remaining two also in the open category.
(with PTI inputs)