NEW DELHI: The appointment of Atishi as the chief minister could unlock the long-delayed mayoral elections in the capital, which have been stalled for six months.
Although the nomination process was completed and approval from the Election Commission was sought, the elections, scheduled for April 26, were postponed indefinitely when L-G VK Saxena, in an order, declined to appoint a presiding officer without the CM’s input.
An MCD official said despite the postponement, the nominations remain valid. Mahesh Kumar (AAP) and Krishna Lal (BJP) were nominated for the mayoral election, while three candidates remain in the running for deputy mayor. However, appointing a presiding officer would require restarting the process, which is contingent upon the appointment of a new CM.
The procedure involves the municipal secretary forwarding the file to the MCD commissioner, who then sends it through multiple layers of bureaucracy, eventually reaching the CM and then the LG.
In the second year of the MCD’s five-year term, the mayor’s seat is reserved for a member of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, but the current mayor, Shelly Oberoi, continues to hold office under an April 25 order by L-G. This order emphasised the need for continuity in the mayoral office until elections can be held.
Opposition leader Raja Singh has called for swift elections, arguing that Oberoi’s extended tenure is unfair, as the SC reservation for mayor must be honoured. Meanwhile, the AAP, which won the 2022 MCD elections, continues to navigate the political and legal gridlock.