MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi declares Standing Committee polls illegal ahead of elections today

MCD Standing Committee polls postponed after drama, Mayor declares polls illegal, adjourns house until October 5.

MCD Standing Committee polls for the sixth remaining members were postponed on Thursday (September 26, 2024) night after high-voltage drama, with AAP councillors protesting against security checks.

The elections were scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday (September 27, 2024) after an order by the MCD commissioner appointing an additional commissioner as the presiding officer.

However, Mayor Shelly Oberoi in a letter to the commissioner has declared the polls illegal and unlawful, stating it is her discretion to adjourn the meeting of the House and she has adjourned the House until October 5.

In her letter, quoting the DMC, she said that the Mayor is the presiding officer, if the Mayor is unavailable then the Deputy Mayor becomes the presiding officer and if they are also unavailable, then a councillor is appointed for the same, therefore, no other person can be appointed as the presiding officer.

Earlier on Thursday, following disruption over the frisking of councillors, the election was postponed by Ms. Oberoi. However, in a last-minute intervention, Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena overturned the poll postponement and directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to submit a report by 10 p.m. Mr. Saxena directed that the Deputy Mayor be made the presiding officer for the poll if the Mayor refuses to hold it.

Six members of the 18-member panel, three each from the BJP and AAP, were elected by the MCD House right after the mayoral polls in March 2023. The remaining members were elected through the zonal committee polls, which were held last week. The BJP won the posts of Standing Committee member in seven of the 12 zonal committees, while AAP emerged victorious in five. Thursday’s poll was necessitated after the seat was vacated by BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who won the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in the recently held general election.