Election for Delhi Mayor postponed again over ruckus in Assembly

For the second time this month, election for the post of Delhi mayor was postponed following a ruckus in the MCD House between the AAP and BJP councillors.

"We were sitting in the House to vote since 11 am and when finally, the time came, a ruckus began in the House. This is wrong, democratic principles must be followed," Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi told news agency ANI.

After the oath of aldermen and elected councillors, the House was adjourned for 15 minutes during which a number of BJP councillors started moving into the House, chanted "Modi, Modi", and raised slogans against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, reported PTI.

The report further added that they went towards the benches where AAP councillors were sitting and raised slogans, prompting the presiding officer to adjourn the House until a further date.

The new 250-member MCD House reconvened on Tuesday with members nominated by the lieutenant governor taking oath before the elected representatives amid cries of "shame, shame" from AAP councillors.

As per reports, nominated members raised slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai" after the ceremony.

Earlier, the election was abruptly adjourned on January 6 after heated exchanges between councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The clash was over the presiding officer's decision to administer the oath to the 10 aldermen first.

On December 4, the Delhi MCD polls were held and the counting of votes took place on December 7. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had emerged as a clear winner in the polls with 134 wards, ending the BJP's 15-year rule in the civic body. The BJP had won 104 wards to finish second while the Congress bagged only 9 seats.

Aam Aadmi Party has fielded two candidates -- Shelly Oberoi along with Ashu Thakur for the post of mayor. While Rekha Gupta is the BJP's nominee for the mayor poll. The candidates for the deputy mayor post are Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar of the AAP, and Kamal Bagri of the BJP.

In 2022, the Centre decided to unify the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (64 wards) into one entity. Under the new amendment, Delhi will get its first mayor for the city in 10 years.

(With agency inputs)

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