MCD House adjournment: AAP to move Supreme Court to seek court-monitored mayoral polls

The municipal House failed to elect a mayor on Monday after a ruckus erupted over the nominated members being allowed to vote in the election to the post.

AAP Mayor candidate Shelly Oberoi along with Sanjay Singh and MCD Councillors during the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, at the Civic Centre in New Delhi. (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI:  Following the sine die adjournment of MCD’s House for failing to elect the civic body’s mayor third time, AAP said on Monday that it will file a petition in the Supreme Court to conduct “court-monitored election” for the post of corporation’s chief within 10 days.

The House was adjourned for the third time in a month without electing a mayor after a ruckus erupted over the nominated members being allowed to vote in the election to the post. Soon after exiting the House, AAP leader Atishi said that the party will again file a petition in the apex court so that the polls can be held in a court-monitored manner.

Later, the party leaders reiterated that AAP will move the SC to challenge the BJP’s decision of giving voting rights to the aldermen. “Last time we withdrew our petition against BJP because by then the dates for mayor polls were approved and the voting rights of aldermen were also not clear whether the nominated members will vote or not but today it is clear, they have illegally given the voting rights to aldermen. We will move to the Supreme Court and challenge BJP’s decision,” she said.

The House failed to elect a mayor for the third time in a row in a month

AAP MP from Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh said BJP came prepared with a mind to disrupt the election process. He pointed out that many of BJP MPs such as Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwari and Hans Raj Hans did not come to the House to participate in the election.

“We are supporting BJP’s decision to allow the aldermen to vote in the polls. We remained silent in the entire session. Their MPs who have voting rights abstained from the election. This shows that everything was pre-planned which we had warned earlier as well,” Singh said.

The party earlier filed a petition in the SC last month when the mayoral poll was adjourned on January 24. However, the plea was withdrawn by AAP’s mayor candidate Shelly Oberoi after the fresh date was announced. The first two sessions held on January 6 and January 24, respectively, were adjourned by the presiding officer without electing a mayor as the sessions were marred due to acrimonious exchanges among BJP and AAP members.