NEW DELHI: The mayoral elections scheduled for April 26 were postponed on Thursday owing to the non-appointment of a presiding officer to oversee the poll, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said following a directive from L-G V K Saxena.
The election was “subject to clearance from the Election Commission of India and the nomination of the presiding officer,” the notice read. While the EC conveyed the ‘no objection certificate’ on Wednesday, the nomination of the presiding officer was still pending.
“Since the nomination of the presiding Officer is mandatory as per Section 77(a) of the DMC Act, 1957 (as amended in 2022). Therefore, it may not be possible to conduct elections of the mayor and deputy mayor as per schedule,” the notice read.
The Raj Niwas earlier issued a directive in which Saxena wrote to the chief secretary. “These are peculiar and unprecedented circumstances,” the letter read. “The serving chief minister is under judicial custody in a corruption case and therefore cannot discharge his functions,” the LG wrote.
The letter stated that “there is no scintilla of doubt” that taking such a decision in the absence of inputs from the CM would be grossly inappropriate both in terms of law and propriety.” “I do not deem it appropriate to exercise my power as administrator to appoint the presiding officer,” the L-G said.
AAP has a majority in the MCD. It alleged that it was the L-G’s office that “cancelled” the polls as he was supposed to appoint the presiding officer. “The BJP got the election cancelled despite there being permission from the EC. The L-G office has cancelled the polls saying he works on the advice of the CM. There have been instances where he has not followed the advice of the CM,” AAP’s Durgesh Pathak said.