Uproar in the House during the Delhi Mayor Election… file pic
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
The mayor will be elected first or with the deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee. There is still doubt regarding this. If the political strategists of MCD are to be believed then again on February 22, there may be a dispute between the councilors of Aam Aadmi Party and BJP on this issue, because Aam Aadmi Party is in favor of holding the mayor’s election first.
In the last meeting of the House, Presiding Officer Satya Sharma had decided to conduct the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and six members of the Standing Committee together, saying that it would save time. He had argued in the House that the Prime Minister is talking about holding all the elections together in the country, so what is wrong in holding all the elections together here.
On this, the BJP councilors unanimously agreed to the suggestion of the presiding officer, but the Aam Aadmi Party opposed the decision in a subdued voice. The two sides had agreed to hold all the elections together, but the ruckus escalated when BJP corporators demanded the expulsion of two Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi and Sanjeev Jha, from the House. BJP councilors said that both these MLAs have been punished by the court, so they cannot participate in the mayoral election. This was also supported by the Presiding Officer.
Speculations are being made in the political corridor
If political strategists are to be believed, the BJP is worried that if only the mayor is elected first, then it is possible that the Aam Aadmi Party may not show interest in conducting the election of the deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee, because the general public will not vote in the mayoral election. The party has the upper hand, but the BJP is all set to capture the Standing Committee.
If only the mayor is elected, then the standing committee will not be formed. In such a situation, the mayor will be able to take decisions related to the corporation alone, but if the standing committee is formed, then the matters related to the corporation will go to the mayor only through the standing committee. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see the election of mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee on February 22. What is decided in this, which party fits the political equation, it will be decided on the same day.
What does the DMC Act say
According to the DMC Act-1957, the election of the Mayor is done under the chairmanship of the Presiding Officer. With the consent of the Lieutenant Governor, a senior councilor of the corporation who is not contesting the mayoral election is appointed as the presiding officer. After the election of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor is presided over and the members of the Standing Committee are elected. On the other hand, if the senior officials of the corporation are to be believed, then before the mayoral election, the presiding officer can conduct all the three elections simultaneously at his discretion.