A day after the Supreme Court gave a ruling that nominated members cannot vote in the Delhi mayoral elections, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, on Saturday, approved the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s proposal for convening the adjourned first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on February 22 for election of mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee.

Saxena informed in a statement that the meeting will be convened on February 22, at 11 am on the 4th floor, A Block, Dr SP Mukherjee Civic Centre.

Advertisement

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sent a proposal to the lieutenant governor regarding the election to be held on February 22.

“Recommended MCD Mayor elections to be held on 22 Feb,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

The National Capital is yet to elect the mayor and deputy mayor as three previous meetings held on January 6 and 24 and February 6 were adjourned without holding elections following a ruckus between BJP and AAP councillors over the ‘voting rights of nominated councillors’.

The last meeting of MCD councillors held on February 6 was adjourned until the next date amid sloganeering and ruckus over the issues of aldermen voting rights.

However, the Supreme Court in a ruling on Friday ruled that the nominated members cannot vote in Delhi mayoral elections and asked the Municipal Corporation Department to issue notice for the election within 24 hours.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also directed the concerned authority to issue notice for the election of mayor and the first meeting of MCD shall take place within 24 hours. The apex court had said it must be noted that the elections for mayor shall be conducted during the first meeting of the MCD and once elected, the major shall preside over the election of the deputy mayor.

Noting that a provision in Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act indicates that the persons nominated shall not have the right to vote in meetings of the corporation, the court expressed its inability to accept the submission by MCD and Delhi lieutenant governor on certain issues.

The ruling of the apex court came during a hearing into a joint petition of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shelly Oberoi challenging the Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s decision to permit the nominated members to vote in the elections for mayor and deputy mayor in MCD.

In the plea, the petitioners had demanded time-bound elections to the post of MCD mayor, deputy mayor and member of the standing committee.

Recently, the high-octane political drama unfolded inside the Delhi Civic Centre as the House met for a third time this month to elect the mayor, only to be deferred till the next date due to a ruckus over the nominated members being permitted to vote.

The House, which was first summoned on January 6 and then on January 25, had ended without any result due to unprecedented scenes emerging after the nominated members were allowed the right to vote for the post of mayor, deputy mayor and chairpersons of various standing committees.

The Civic Centre summoned for the third time on February 6 to elect the mayor. However, no voting could take place due to ruckus and sloganeering and hence the stalemate continued. The House proceedings began at the Delhi Civic Centre after Presiding officer Satya Sharma arrived and announced that aldermen – nominated members – will be allowed to vote in the process of electing the mayor. However, the House was adjourned after the Aam Aadmi Party members objected to it.

Soon after the House resumed, BJP members could be seen sloganeering while accusing the AAP of attempting to poach its councillors. The House was adjourned owing to the uproar, thus failing to elect the Mayor.

Earlier, AAP’s mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi moved the Supreme Court, but later on February 3, she withdrew her plea. Oberoi in her plea had sought directions for the elections to take place in a time-bound manner and to ensure that the nominated members are not allowed to vote.