Delhi Mayor Polls: LG VK Saxena gives nod to convene MCD House on February 22
New Delhi, February 18: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena on Saturday has given his nod to convene the municipal House on February 22 to hold the election for the post of mayor, Raj Niwas officials said confirmed.
The Aam Aadmi Party had a big win a day ago in the Supreme Court, it was ruled that members of Delhi's civic body appointed by the Lieutenant Governor cannot vote in the election to choose a mayor. Lt Governor VK Saxena recently approved Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's proposal to hold the mayor election on February 22. This election will now be held at 11 am in MCD Sadan, Civic body head office confirmed the news.
Also Read: CBI summons Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in excise policy case
Earlier, the election was postponed thrice in the past two months amid the tussle between the ruling AAP and the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor over whether nominated members have the right to vote.
On the same day, right after the election of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and 6 members of the Standing Committee will be elected.
The decision was announced just hours after CM Arvind Kejriwal accused Lt Governor VK Saxena of committing criminal contempt of court in the recent case on the voting rights. Kejriwal further accused that, he also appointed members of Delhi's civic body, by trying to get his lawyer to argue both sides of the case.
In a shot in the arm for the ruling AAP, the apex court also held on Friday that the members nominated by the LG to the MCD cannot vote to elect the mayor. "Recommended MCD mayor elections to be held on 22 Feb," Kejriwal tweeted.
The AAP government has allege Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who was trying take control of the civic body by electing a BJP leader for the post of mayor when in December AAP was the clear winner.
The AAP emerged as the clear winner in the MCD polls in December, winning 134 wards and ending the BJP's 15-year rule in the civic body. The BJP won 104 wards to finish second, while the Congress won nine seats.
CM Kejriwal also tweeted the Supreme Court order "proved how the Lieutenant Governor and the BJP have been passing illegal orders in Delhi".
Also Read: Punjab: Cash-strapped Powercom bearing double brunt of financial crunch, electricity crisis
- With inputs from agencies
