MCD House adjourned for 3rd time without electing Delhi mayor

NEW DELHI: Proceedings of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi House on Monday were adjourned till further notice without conducting electing a mayor.

This is the third time in a row that the house has been adjourned after a ruckus erupted over nominated members being allowed to vote in the election to the post of mayor, deputy mayor and chairpersons of various standing committees.

After the Aam Aadmi Party won in the civic polls held on December 4 last year, the house convened twice earlier but due to clashes between members of the BJP and the AAP it was unable to name the mayor.

Earlier today house proceedings began ar the Delhi Civic Centre after Presiding officer Satya Sharma arrived and announced that aldermen- nominated members- will be allowed to vote in the process of electing the mayor. To this AAP members objected and the house was adjourned.

After the house proceeding resumed, BJP members started sloganeering accusing the AAP of attempting to poach its councilors.

Aam Aadmi Party Councillors had written a letter to MCD's Presiding Officer on Sunday, demanding the debarment of aldermen in today's election of the mayor, deputy mayor and the Standing Committee.

The letter read, "We are the elected Councillors to MCD winning on the symbol of Aam Aadmi Party. On 06.02.2023, the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Standing Committee member shall occur as per the direction of the Competent Authority."

In the letter to the presiding officer, the councillors also mentioned the law and the Constitution's provisions, they wrote, "This is to reiterate that as per Article 243 R of the Constitution of India and as given in the Proviso to Section 3 (b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the nominated members (Alderman) are not entitled to vote in the above-mentioned elections."

"Article 243 R Constitution of India says; The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide (a) for the representation in a Municipality of (i) persons having special knowledge or experience in Municipal administration. Provided that the persons referred to in paragraph (i) shall not have the right to vote in the meetings of the Municipality. Section 3(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 Proviso to Section 3(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 states that "... the persons nominated under this-clause shall not have the right to vote in the meetings of the Corporation," the letter mentioned.

The letter further read, "It is, therefore, the bounden duty of the Protem Speaker of MCD to respect the law of the land Constitution of India and ensure that these laws debarring the nominated members from voting are implemented in letter and spirits in the ensuing election to the post of Mayor, Dy Mayor and Standing Committee of the MCD."

"We, therefore, humbly request that under no circumstance, the nominated members (Alderman) be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections of Mayor, Dy Mayor and Standing Committee. Any attempt on the part of the nominated councillors (Alderman) to vote in the above election will be a direct affront and insult to the mandate of the people of Delhi which had sent the Aam Aadmi Party with a majority to the MCD in the 2022 elections," the letter concluded.

The municipal elections in Delhi were held on December 4 and the results were announced on 7 December, in which the Aam Aadmi Party won a maximum of 134 seats out of 250.

The first two sessions of the MCD house held on January 6 and January 24, respectively, were also adjourned.