AAP-BJP stalemate continues in MCD, House adjourned for third time

However, the house adjourned within 15 minutes after Sharma announced that the elections will be held together. She also allowed nominated aldermen to vote in the mayoral polls.

AAP leader Mukesh Goel countered her, arguing that aldermen can only vote in ward committee polls and not in mayoral polls.

To which Sharma said that the May 2022 DMC Act clearly states that aldermen can vote. “Mujhe mat sikhaye kya kehna hai (Don’t teach me what to say),” she responded to Goel.

BJP leaders, meanwhile, raised slogans like “AAP stop poaching our councillors, let the elections happen peacefully, don’t stop the elections”.

After proceedings resumed, the presiding officer disqualified two AAP leaders, Sanjeev Jha and Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, saying they have a court case against them and cannot vote in mayoral polls, and asked them to leave the house.

Following this, arguments broke out between both parties and BJP leaders gheraoed the AAP. They also requested AAP leaders, with folded hands, to let the polls happen. However, the AAP leaders did not react.

Sharma then adjourned the House until the next date. “Elections cannot be held in such an atmosphere. The House is adjourned until the next date,” she said.

BJP leaders left the House but AAP leaders refused and sat inside the house for 20 minutes.

Goel later said: “When I tried to raise the matter (of Aldermen), the BJP started shouting slogans and did not let me speak. Whenever I stood up and tried to oppose the presiding officer’s decision to allow the aldermen to vote, they switched off my mic. Is this democracy?”

A senior BJP leader said the presiding officer is empowered to conduct all elections together and she suggested simultaneous voting based on the prevailing circumstances to save time and resources of the house.

The House was adjourned earlier on January 24 and 6.

Later in a press conference, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said, “As per the DMC act, aldermen do not hold voting rights, they cannot vote in the mayor polls. We do not want any violence or ruckus. We will move the Supreme Court and challenge this.”

AAP’s mayoral candidate, Shelly Oberoi, called the entire event a “pre-planned strategy” by BJP and said, “It was very clear that BJP today came with a pre-planned strategy to stop the polls. Despite losing MCD polls, the BJP is trying to win the mayor polls from the backdoor. They are violating the rules and regulations of the DMC act.”