Polling for the last vacant seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee took place on Friday (September 27). BJP candidate Sundar Singh got all 115 votes of party councillors, while AAP's Nirmala Kumari did not get a single vote. Actually Congress and Aam Aadmi Party did not participate in this election.
With this win, the BJP has 10 members in the 18-member standing committee of the Delhi Municipal Corporation. While AAP has only eight members. After BJP leader Kamaljit Sehrawat was elected as MP from West Delhi, the seat where the election was held fell vacant.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva congratulated Sundar Singh on his victory in the MCD elections.
Why did the Aam Aadmi Party boycott the elections? This election was to be held on September 26. When the councilor reached MCD, he was investigated. After this there was an uproar. The councilors were checked and none had mobile phones.
When MCD Mayor Shaili Oberoi entered the house, he expressed concern about the security check on the councillors. He claimed that this is happening for the first time in the history of MCD.
After the uproar, Delhi Mayor Shaili Oberoi ordered the election to be held on October 5, but LG Saxena withdrew her decision. After the political drama that lasted late into the night on Thursday, LG VK Saxena directed Corporation Commissioner Ashwini Kumar to conduct the polls at 1 pm on Friday.
Former Deputy CM of Delhi and AAP leader Manish Sisodia expressed displeasure over this notification of LG. He said, BJP is killing democracy in Delhi Municipal Corporation. Democracy is being killed in standing committee elections.
The LG instructed that if the Mayor refuses to conduct the election, the Deputy Mayor should be made the presiding election officer. If the Deputy Mayor also declines, the senior-most member of the House will preside over the election.
There was an uproar after the councilors were searched Indeed, elections for the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee were to be held on Thursday. When the councilor reached MCD, he was searched. After this there was an uproar. Councilors were screened to ensure that no one carries a mobile phone.
When MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi entered the House, she raised concerns about the security probe of the councillors. He claimed that this is happening for the first time in the history of MCD.
The way the public search is being conducted is undemocratic and insulting to councillors. I adjourn the House for 15 minutes and direct the MCD Commissioner to allow the councilors to enter without any verification.
The Mayor adjourned the proceedings of the House till October 5. The mayor said he wanted to hold the election, but the search had soured the atmosphere. This will be remembered in history, the way officials were pressured and they did not comply with my orders, I am adjourning the House till 2 pm on October 5.
Saying this, the mayor left the house. Meanwhile, the BJP councilors raised slogans of 'mayor come to his senses and get the standing committee elected'.
Sisodia said- BJP councilors already knew everything At a press conference on Thursday night, Manish Sisodia said – We were wondering what the BJP's objective was, then we realized what the real game is. An employee of the municipal corporation told us that AAP and Congress councilors have left the house. While the BJP kept its councilors sitting near the commissioner in MCD House along with its chairman and MPs.
All BJP councilors are sitting there now. He already knew that the Delhi LG would write a letter and the commissioner's order would arrive by 10 pm. They already knew everything so everyone is stuck there. BJP is plotting. The mayor postponed the election of the standing committee till October 5, but the Lt. Governor has ordered the election of the standing committee tonight itself. What is the problem with night elections being ordered?
BJP said- The anti-incumbency wave against Arvind Kejriwal has reached its peak BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva said in a statement on Thursday that the BJP has asked the MCD commissioner to conduct the elections in accordance with the law and the directions of the Supreme Court.
He alleged that the anti-incumbency wave against Arvind Kejriwal was at its peak and AAP was running away from the polls as it feared its councilors would desert it. The BJP will file a contempt petition against the mayor in court on Friday.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
