Delhi waits (again) for new mayor as ruckus delays polls for 2nd time: 10 points

The MCD is due to elect its mayor for the first time since three civic bodies of the national capital united into one.

For the second time this month, voting for the mayoral post of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been postponed after ruckus in the House. The MCD is due to elect the national capital's first mayor as a whole in a decade. Earlier this month, visuals of mayhem inside the House had triggered criticism for leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP. The AAP had wrested control of the civic body from the BJP last month, ending its 15-year-rule. It was the first time that elections were held for a unified MCD in December after three civic bodies of the city merged into one last year. Shelly Oberoi is the AAP's candidate for the mayoral post and the BJP has fielded Rekha Gupta against her. For the post of deputy mayor, it's AAP's Aaley Mohammad Iqbal vs the BJP's Kamal Bagri.

Here are top points on the MCD mayoral elections:

1) The day began with the oath-taking of 249 councillors amid tight security. But soon after vall councillors had taken oath, disruption ensued amid sloganeering. The presiding officer adjourned the House till a fresh date for the mayoral polls was announced.

2) On January 6, the oath-taking of alderman - 10 members who do not have voting rights in the House, as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 - had triggered a row in the house.

The AAP had claimed it was done to allow the aldermen to “vote in the mayoral polls” and favour the BJP. The party and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena denied these claims.

3) For the first time since 1957, the Civic Centre had descended into chaos on January 6 as councillors from both parties had fistfights, were seen on top of tables and even attempted to use furniture as weapons, prompting the presiding officer to delay the mayoral polls, HT had detailed in a report.

Updated on Jan 24, 2023 03:06 PM IST