BJP wins Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee poll
- In Reports
- 10:59 PM, Sep 27, 2024
- Myind Staff
As a notable political advancement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) successfully clinched the final seat on the Standing Committee of the Delhi Municipal Corporation on Friday afternoon. Sundar Singh Tanwar was nominated to fill the 18th seat following an election exclusively among BJP councillors. He garnered 115 votes, reflecting the total number of BJP councillors in the municipal body.
Tanwar’s victory grants the BJP control over the Standing Committee, a crucial body within the municipal governance framework responsible for making significant financial decisions. With 10 out of the 18 members now affiliated with the BJP, the party is poised to appoint the committee’s Chairperson. This control is anticipated to enhance the BJP’s influence over municipal affairs in Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which holds 125 councillor seats, opted to abstain from the election. Had the AAP chosen to participate, it likely would have won and taken control of the Standing Committee. Additionally, the Congress Party, with nine councillors, also abstained from voting, further solidifying the BJP’s unopposed victory.
This development comes after a late-night session convened by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the central government’s representative in Delhi, which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chose to boycott. Ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia labelled the election “illegal” and expressed scepticism about its legitimacy, stating, “There is nothing today,” before Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader, reiterated the legal stipulations regarding the calling of House sittings.
Kejriwal emphasised that the law requires a 72-hour notice for councillors before a House meeting, raising concerns about the timing and legality of the election process. He accused the BJP of having ulterior motives, suggesting that there was a conspiracy to manipulate the situation.
In a related statement, Mayor Oberoi declared the election unconstitutional and illegal, prompting an intervention from Saxena. The Lieutenant Governor ordered Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Ashwini Kumar to provide a report on the conduct of the elections by 10 PM that same day. He also indicated that the Deputy Mayor should oversee the proceedings in the event the Mayor was unavailable.
This election marks the latest chapter in the ongoing power struggle between the AAP and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, underscoring the contentious political landscape in Delhi. The vacancy on the Standing Committee arose following the resignation of BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in the recent elections.
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