MCD Standing committee election: AAP boycotts poll, BJP wins unopposed

With the unopposed win, the BJP present has 10 members successful the 18-member Standing Committee against AAP’s eight. This means that contempt starring the MCD, AAP volition not beryllium capable to o.k. fiscal proposals exceeding Rs 5 crore without the Opposition’s consent.

Friday’s predetermination was held to capable the spot near vacant aft BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat’s predetermination to the Lok Sabha successful the caller polls.

Originally, the predetermination to the last Standing Committee spot was scheduled for Thursday (September 26). However, the league was derailed pursuing protests, archetypal by AAP councillors against caller information checks that barred them from bringing mobile phones into the voting area, and past by their BJP counterparts who accused the AAP of stalling the election. Later, Mayor Shelly Oberoi adjourned the league until October 5.

Despite the adjournment, L-G Saxena directed the Commissioner to proceed with the predetermination astatine 8 pm, 4 hours aft the House had been adjourned by the Mayor, citing concerns implicit the hold successful forming the Standing Committee. The LG’s bid had besides directed the Deputy Mayor to preside implicit the predetermination if the Mayor declines, and for the senior-most subordinate of the location (Leader of the House, AAP’s Mukesh Goel) to instrumentality implicit if the Deputy Mayor (Aaley Iqbal) besides refused.

The Commissioner past sent an authoritative connection to the 3 leaders, requesting them to instrumentality actions for holding elections. However, the Mayor responded saying that immoderate elections held earlier October 5 would beryllium declared null and void. The L-G past directed Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav to preside implicit the Corporation gathering to behaviour the election.

In response, AAP announced Friday that it would boycott the election, declaring it “unconstitutional” and “null and void”.

Meanwhile, Raja Iqbal Singh, Leader of Opposition astatine the MCD, said the AAP was fearful of cross-voting which is wherefore they person travel up with an excuse to not enactment successful the elections.

Holding a property league alongside the Mayor, AAP’s erstwhile Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia said, “According to MCD Act, lone Mayor/Deputy Mayor/senior councilor tin preside implicit the House meeting, not immoderate IAS officer… The BJP is murdering ideology successful MCD, it is unconstitutional to clasp lasting committee elections nether the chairmanship of further commissioner. AAP is boycotting this.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Oberoi said, “As the Mayor, it is my work to guarantee that the predetermination of the sixth subordinate of the Standing Committee is conducted successful a just and transparent manner. I person written to the MCD Commissioner and instructed that today’s predetermination is wholly illegal.” Later, erstwhile main curate Kejriwal accused the BJP of “pulling each stops” to clasp MCD lasting committee election. “There is thing incorrect with their intentions, that is wherefore they are pulling each stops… by bypassing law rules, L-G saab ordered MCD House and IAS officers to preside implicit it. Only the Mayor has the close to telephone MCD House and preside implicit it,” helium said.

He claimed that arsenic per the rule, a announcement had to beryllium sent to each councillor 72 hours earlier the meeting, but it was not followed.