MCD internal polls on June 2: Ward panels, two standing committee members to be picked

The two councillors who had been elected as MLAs represented wards 164 and 74 of MCD. They served as members of the MCD’s standing committee from the South Zone Wards Committee and the City-SP Zone Wards Committee.

The elections to fill the two seats on the standing committee were scheduled to be held on May 21 but were postponed due to the military conflicts between India and Pakistan. The new date was announced on Monday, and elections will be held through a secret ballot.

During the previous ward committee polls, the AAP had secured five of the 12 zonal committees, with the rest going to the BJP.

However, the June 2 polls come in the wake of 15 councillors quitting AAP and forming an independent political outfit, called the Indraprastha Vikas Party.

With this new front, AAP’s numbers in the MCD have been reduced to 98. While the BJP has 117 councillors at present, the Congress has eight.

The Standing Committee plays a key role in the civic body, with no proposal exceeding Rs 5 crore able to pass without its approval.

The new defections, which include the former Leader of the House in the MCD, Mukesh Goel, may now further complicate its position in the upcoming civic leadership contests.

This development came just weeks after the BJP regained control of the MCD by winning the mayoral elections, marking a critical reversal of fortunes after two years in opposition.