NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to hold the ward committee elections on September 4 to appoint chairmen and deputy chairmen for its 12 zonal bodies.
This process, in accrodance with the Delhi Municipal Corporation Regulations of 1958, will be carried out through a secret ballot. Councillors interested in running for these positions must submit their nominations with the municipal secretary by August 30, an official order said on Wednesday.
The elections for six zones – City and SP Zone, Rohini Zone, Najafgarh Zone, West Zone, South Zone, and Central Zone – will take place at the Hansraj Gupta Auditorium at the MCD headquarters, while the elections for the remaining six zones – Karol Bagh Zone, Keshav Puram Zone, Shahdara South Zone, Shahdara North Zone, Civil Lines Zone, and Narela Zone – will be held at the Satya Narayan Bansal Auditorium, also at the MCD headquarters. Both sets of elections are scheduled to take place between 10 am and 4 pm.
Candidates are required to submit nomination papers endorsed by two other members of the Corporation – one as a proposer and the other as a seconder. These papers must be delivered to the municipal secretary between 11 am and 5 pm, at least three clear days before the election date, which sets the deadline at August 30.
Candidates may withdraw their nominations for the polls at any time before the election is proceeded within the meeting, the order added.
The ward committees, responsible for selecting one councillor as chairman and another as deputy chairman of each zonal body, also play a significant role in the formation of the standing committee, the highest decision-making authority within the MCD.
These elections mark the first meeting of the ward committees after an 18-month delay due to a political impasse between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP.
This deadlock has stalled crucial policy decisions and administrative approvals, highlighting the importance of the upcoming elections in resolving these issues and advancing the city’s governance.
Elections may be key in breaking civic deadlock
The September 4 elections will be considered as the first meeting of the ward committees. Due to political deadlock between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP, the elections for the ward committee and the subsequent standing committee have been delayed by over one and a half years. The deadlock has kept several crucial policy decisions, requiring the administrative approval of the standing committee, in doldrums