Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Shelly Oberoi elected as the new mayor of Delhi and the party’s MLA Aaley Mohd Iqbal selected as her deputy on Wednesday. According to sources, 10 nominated MPs, 14 nominated MLAs, and 241 elected councilors voted in the election to elect the woman mayor.
Context
The election to the post had previously been called off three times due to a stalemate between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Bickering ensued between the two parties after Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) VK Saxena named 10 aldermen for voting without consulting the Delhi government.
AAP: Goons have lost
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia congratulated Ms Oberoi and the party workers. “The goons have lost, the public won. Today in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the people of Delhi won and hooliganism was defeated,” Mr Kejriwal said.
BJP accuses AAP of playing ‘dirty politics’
BJP leader Rekha Gupta, who lost the election, accused the AAP of “dirty politics” earlier in the day. She alleged AAP leaders had tried to bribe BJP councillors. Gupta said: “AAP leaders are approaching BJP councillors and offering them MLA tickets and money to join and support AAP… very unexpected, AAP says something, does something and shows something.” However, the elections were held on Wednesday after Supreme Court overturned L-G’s order.
Who is Shelly Oberoi
Shelly Oberoi, was elected to the MCD from Patel Nagar’s Ward Number 86, was a visiting Assistant Professor at Delhi University. She is also a lifetime member of the Indian Commerce Association. She has pursued her Doctorate in Philosophy from the School of Management Studies (SOMS), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). She is also the recipient of best paper awards in different national and international conferences and has won a Gold medal (Prof Manubhai Shah Award) at ICA Conference. She completed her B.Com from Janki Devi Memorial College of Delhi University, according to India Today.
Oberoi gets 150 votes; BJP’s Rekha Gupta 116
Shelly Oberoi defeated BJP candidate Rekha Gupta after securing 150 votes while Gupta got 116 votes. The AAP claimed a big win in December’s civic body poll, claiming 134 of the city’s 250 wards. The mayoral elections went on peacefully following Supreme Court directions, and AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi was declared the winner after nearly two hours of the voting process. On February 17, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said the election of the new mayor must be done at the first MCD meeting.
-INDIA NEWS STREAM