BJP councillors.
Amidst this chaos, uncertainty surrounds a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday, which is intended to include the concluding speech on the finalisation of the MCD Budget for the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26. The opposition has signalled that it may block the Leader of the House (LoH) from presenting the budget, asserting that the ruling party no longer holds a majority and thus lacks the authority to proceed.
BJP’s Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh accused AAP of “shamelessly” trying to run the House despite losing its majority. “The BJP, with its larger numbers, is now the majority and should take charge,” Singh said. He also argued that the BJP should be allowed to present the budget after electing its own mayor.
“We will decide our next move before the House proceeds, but I personally believe the LoH should not be allowed to read the final budget speech,” Singh added. In contrast, Mukesh Goel, Leader of the House and AAP councillor, emphasized that his party was ready to present the budget as planned. “We have been preparing the speech and are ready to deliver. If the opposition creates any obstruction, we will take our next step.
We are confident that we have the authority to move forward as the ruling party,” Goel said. Monday’s general House meeting was marked by heated protests from BJP councillors, who began shouting slogans against AAP right from the start. In response, AAP councillors raised counter-slogans, and both sides clashed, even climbing on tables in a chaotic scene.
The session was adjourned after just 10-15 minutes, with the ruling party hurriedly passing, referring back, and rejecting items on the agenda. BJP councillors claimed that they would not allow the House to run smoothly for the budget presentation, citing AAP’s loss of majority. According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, MCD budget estimates must be presented to the standing committee.
However, this process has been delayed due to the non-formation of the standing committee. As a result, Commissioner Ashwani Kumar presented the budget proposals for the 2025-26 financial year directly at a special House meeting on February 13.
The House now holds the authority to finalise the budget with any necessary amendments. “If the House proceedings derail, the ruling party may call another session, but everything must be completed before the current mayor’s tenure ends on March 31,” an official, who requested anonymity, said.