NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has cancelled the election process for six vacant seats of its Standing Committee and for the posts of chairperson and deputy chairperson in 12 ward committees until further orders, officials said on Wednesday.
According to an official notice, the civic body stated that the elections, scheduled to be held on June 3, have been postponed indefinitely. The nomination process has also been scrapped. Earlier, May 29 had been fixed as the last date for obtaining nomination forms.
Though the notice did not specify any reason for the cancellation, civic body officials said the move was likely due to political differences and lack of consensus over the selection of candidates for various ward committees and Standing Committee seats. Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Ankush Narang, alleged that the elections had been postponed without following due procedure under the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.
“Section 53(2) of the DMC Act clearly states that no election of a ward committee can have its date fixed or deferred without the chairman’s approval,” Narang said, questioning how the municipal secretary deferred the elections.
He further alleged that the BJP postponed the elections due to internal differences and fear of losing control in certain zones. The BJP has not yet responded to the allegations.
Officials, however, indicated that the elections are likely to be rescheduled later in June. Earlier this month, the MCD had announced that elections for ward committee chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and Standing Committee members would be held on May 23.
The schedule was later revised, postponing the elections to June 3, while nomination-related proceedings were shifted from May 19 to May 29.
The Standing Committee currently has 12 members against its sanctioned strength of 18 after nine members retired on March 31 following completion of the delayed draw-of-lots process. Of the retired members, six belonged to the BJP and three to the AAP.
Subsequently, three vacancies were filled by the House on April 29, while six seats remained vacant. Jai Bhagwan Yadav from Begumpur and Manish Chadha from Paharganj were elected to the committee from the BJP, while Jajal Chaudhary from Shalimar Bagh was elected from the AAP.
Encroachments cleared in Qutub Institutional area
The MCD on Wednesday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the Qutub Institutional Area, removing illegal stalls, temporary structures and road obstructions, officials said.Conducted jointly by the MCD’s South Zone and the PWD with police assistance, the drive covered stretches along the Qutub Institutional Area road in south Delhi. Authorities used JCB machines to dismantle sheds and encroachments on roadsides and footpaths, while also seizing shop items.