Delhi mayoral election to now be held on February 16
The next Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House session to elect the Delhi mayor, deputy mayor, and six standing committee members will take place on Thursday (February 16) after three failed attempts, India Today reported, citing official sources. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has accepted the proposal sent by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to hold the MCD session on Thursday, per PTI.
Why does this story matter?
The municipal body convened to elect the Delhi mayor on January 6, January 24, and February 6, but the House was adjourned following scuffles between AAP and BJP councilors. According to the 1957 Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, the mayor and deputy mayor must be elected during the House's first session after the polls. To recall, the MCD elections concluded two months ago.
MCD's fourth push for Delhi mayor elections
Over the past few weeks, three successive MCD meetings were adjourned after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilors clashed. In the last session (February 6), a commotion erupted over the decision to grant voting rights to nominated aldermen for the mayoral elections. On Thursday, the MCD proposed February 16 as the new date for the polls for the fourth time.
AAP-BJP faceoff stalled mayoral polls earlier
On January 6, the House convened for the first time after the MCD elections in December. However, after an acrimonious spat between the BJP and AAP members, that session got adjourned. Later, the second municipal House on January 24 got adjourned after a fight broke out between the councilors from both parties over Saxena-nominated members being administered oaths first instead of elected councilors.
AAP claimed BJP was strangulating democracy, Constitution
The MCD House was adjourned for the third time last Monday, a month after the first session post-MCD elections. The AAP had claimed the mayoral polls couldn't take place as the saffron party was suffocating the democracy and the Indian Constitution. Meanwhile, the BJP had also fired back at the AAP and accused it of coming up with excuses to delay the mayoral election.
Know about AAP, BJP mayor candidates in fray
There are three nominees for the mayor's seat for this MCD election. Against the BJP's Rekha Gupta, the AAP fielded Shelly Oberoi and Ashu Thakur. While Oberoi is the AAP's main contender for the post, Thakur is the backup candidate. For the deputy mayor's post, the AAP nominated the names of Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar (backup), while the BJP named Kamal Bagri.
Delhi to get woman mayor: Here's why
The Delhi mayor's post rotates through five one-year tenures. While the first term is reserved for women, the second and third years are for the open and reserved category candidates, respectively. The remaining two terms are again reserved for open-category candidates. So, this time, Delhi will get a woman mayor picked by 250 councilors, 10 Delhi MPs, and 14 Delhi Legislative Assembly-nominated MLAs.
AAP's landmark victory in 2022 MCD polls
The Kejriwal-led AAP recorded a historic victory in last year's MCD polls, which saw the party end the saffron party's 15-year stint in the municipal body. In the December 4 MCD elections, the AAP secured 134 seats, while the BJP won 104 wards and came second. The Congress, on the other hand, managed to win just nine seats in the 250-member civic body.
