The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Ruckus in MCD House as AAP, BJP councillors stand on benches, raise slogans
PANDEMONIUM BROKE out during a general monthly meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD), due to the cancellation of the Mayoral polls scheduled for Friday, with councillors of the ruling AAP and BJP waving placards, raising slogans — and some even clambering atop benches.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi said, “This shouldn’t have happened, this is the murder of democracy,” before adjourning the House even as councillors of both parties climbed atop the mayor’s podium and continued sloganeering.
While AAP councillors carried posters of ‘ Dalit virodhi BJP ( antidalit BJP), a copy of the Constitution and a picture of Baba Saheb Ambedkar; BJP councillors held up posters of “House tax ki badauti band karo ( Stop hike in house tax)’. BJP councillors, carrying personal speakers, also played the party’s campaign song, ‘ Phir se Modiji ki sarkar dekhna chahu su’, and danced inside.
This year’s mayoral post was reserved for the Scheduled Caste ( SC) category. On Thursday, L- G V K Saxena said the mayoral elections could not be held as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in jail in connection with a “corruption case” and is unable to perform his duties.
Following the ruckus, Mayor Oberoi, AAP’S MCD in- charge Durgesh Pathak, and Leader of the House Mukesh Goel, accompanied by the party’s councillors, addressed the press.
Asking why the L- G stopped a Dalit Mayor from being elected when the ECI had given permission, Oberoi said: “The elections for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were supposed to be held today; despite the MCC being in place, the ECI had given permission on April 25. But the Chief Secretary bypassed the Delhi government’s Urban Development department and directly sent the file to the LG; now the L- G is saying he does not have any power to allot a presiding officer without consulting the CM. He does not want the AAP to elect a Mayor from its party.”
Pathak said: “We used to read in history that when a king is about to lose his throne, he becomes crazy and violent. The same thing is happening to the BJP right now. So far, they have been claiming they would easily win over 400 seats ( in the general election). But now that all election polls are predicting that the BJP won’t go beyond 200 seats, they are resorting to cheap tactics to ensure they do not lose control.”
Pathak further said they are consulting officials and lawyers to see if the issue can be challenged in court. “We will fight and ensure that our Dalit mayor is elected, no matter how many hurdles they put in our way,” Mukesh Goel said.
Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh rubbished AAP’S claims that the BJP was against a Dalit candidate becoming the Mayor. “Isn’t our candidate also from the SC category? If it’s about making a Dalit candidate the Mayor, then what’s the issue with our candidate? We have, in fact, ensured that we provide representation to Dalit women; for the Deputy Mayor’s post, we have fielded a woman,” Singh said.
He said the issue could be sorted if the AAP appoints a new CM. “They just want to create a constitutional crisis in Delhi; they do not trust their people and hence do not want someone else to become the CM.”
AAP nominated Mahesh Khichi for the position of mayor and Ravinder Bhardwaj for deputy mayor. The BJP nominated councillors Kishan Lal and Neeta Bisht for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.