Delhi Civic Body Panel Election Ceremony of AAP vs Lt Governor to be held today
Elections for the last vacant seat of the crucial standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be held at 1 pm. Today, September 27, following a dramatic face-off between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Lt. Governor VK Saxena.
The Lt Governor of Delhi directed the MCD Commissioner to conduct the polls by 10 pm. Thursday, despite the House adjourning earlier in the day. AAP leader Manish Sisodia condemned the move, accusing the BJP of "killing" late night elections. Pointing to the lieutenant governor's message that the polls should be held by 10 pm, Mr. Sisodia told reporters, "How can there be elections without AAP and Congress councillors?"
He then said, "Elections at one hour's notice are unconstitutional."
The election for the seventh member of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's Standing Committee - which was scheduled for today - was postponed by Mayor Shelly Oberoi till October 5. His move came after councilors debated security checks -- taking the cellphones of those not allowed inside. The mayor has called it "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional".
But Mr. Saxena overturned this with an order stating that the MCD commissioner, Ashwini Kumar, was "directed to submit the report on the conduct of the election of the sixth member of the standing committee by 10 pm tonight".
The order said, "In case the Mayor is unavailable or refuses to preside over the meeting. The Deputy Mayor may be requested to preside over the meeting to conduct the election."
AAP alleged that today's order is a ploy by the Lt Governor to tilt the balance of power towards BJP.
In a statement, the BJP said it has asked the MCD commissioner to conduct the election as per the law and the Supreme Court's order. The party said it will file a contempt petition against the Mayor and Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow, Friday.
The vacancy was created after BJP councilor Kamaljit Sehrawat resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha from the West Delhi parliamentary constituency earlier this year.
