Delhi mayor polls postponed again amid ruckus by AAP, BJP

New Delhi:The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House adjourned without electing a mayor for the third time in a month on Monday.

As soon as the House reconvened to elect Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee members, both the BJP and AAP members resorted to sloganeering. An uproar erupted over the nominated members being allowed to vote in the election to the post.

Following the ruckus, the chair adjourned the House until the next date.

MCD Presiding Officer said that the polls to elect mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members will be held simultaneously. She also said that as per the DMC Act aldermen are eligible to vote in the mayor and deputy mayor polls.

However, the AAP councillors protested and raised slogans against the aldermen being allowed to vote for the mayoral election.

AAP’s councillor and Leader of the House Mukesh Goel said, “The Supreme Court order clearly says that aldermen can only vote in ward committee polls but cannot vote in the mayor polls. This is completely illegal.”

The BJP leaders started raising slogans — “Khareed farokht band karo, humare neta kharidna band karo (stop trying to buy our leaders)” inside the House after which Presiding officer Satya Sharma adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

The presiding officer said that anyone who does not hold voting rights has to leave the house. AAP leader Akhilesh Pati Tripathi and Sanjeev Jha were asked to leave the House, as they do not have the voting rights. After this, the AAP councillors again started raising slogans against the BJP members.

“Elections cannot be held in such an atmosphere. The House is adjourned until the next date,” said presiding officer Satya Sharma.

The BJP councillors and MPs left the House, while the AAP councillors were still sitting inside and refusing to leave.
IANS