Days after the first meeting to elect the mayor and the deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was adjourned due to a ruckus in the House, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday approved January 24 as the date for the city’s Mayoral polls.

Saxena approved the convening of the next meeting of the civic body on January 24. The sitting of the House is called for the oath of affirmation of the election of the mayor, deputy mayor, and six members to the Standing Committee.

The note from the LG’s office said: “I have perused the note at pre pages and as proposed, I approve the convening of the meeting of Municipal Corporation of Delhi on January 24 at 11 am.”

On January 12, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government had proposed to the Lieutenant Governor four dates – January 18, 20, 21 and 24 – for holding the polls, underlining that the MCD is without a mayor for the last eight months.

“A proposal has been sent to the LG for holding the mayoral elections in Delhi on January 18, 20, 21 or 24. He has been requested that the MCD has been working without a Mayor for the last eight months. Therefore, it is not good to delay it further,” Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had tweeted.

Earlier on January 6, the first meeting to elect a mayor and a deputy mayor of the MCD was adjourned due to a ruckus in the House over the oath administered to the aldermen nominated by the LG. High drama, chaos and clashes between the AAP and the BJP councillors on the first day of MCD proceedings eventually led to the adjournment of the House for the day without electing the mayor and deputy mayor for the House.

A huge ruckus was witnessed at the Civic Centre before the commencement of voting for the Delhi mayor elections, over the swearing-in of nominated councillors.

Shortly after the proceedings began on January 6 to choose mayor and deputy mayor and the oath taking ceremony of new councillors, the House was to be adjourned amid the chaos and clashes between AAP and BJP councillors.

The chaos started after the AAP objected to the oath-taking of nominated councillors. After the presiding officer asked aldermen to take the oath, the AAP councillors started creating a ruckus claiming that it was not the custom for the aldermen to take oath before the elected councillors.