AAP vs BJP: Delhi Mayor row in Supreme Court today
The Supreme Court will hear a petition filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seeking to bar nominated members from voting in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) mayoral elections on Friday. The polls, which were scheduled for the fourth time due to a tussle between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were postponed again due to the SC hearing.
Why does this story matter?
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house convened to elect the Delhi mayor on January 6, January 24, and February 6, but it was adjourned following scuffles between AAP and BJP councilors. It was scheduled for the fourth time on Friday but was postponed due to the scheduled hearing of the Supreme Court on a petition filed by AAP's mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi.
Supreme Court heard AAP candidate's petition briefly on Monday
During a brief hearing of the AAP petition on Monday, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud observed that the constitutional provision is "very clear" that nominated members cannot vote. However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G), said that he would argue on this aspect, after which the petition was posted for hearing on Friday.
Nominated members cannot vote: SC bench had observed
While hearing Oberoi's petition, the bench, also comprising Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, orally observed, "Nominated members cannot go for election. The constitutional provision is very clear." "That is very well settled. It is very clear Mr. Jain," the CJI told the ASG. Notably, the Oberoi petition is calling for the prohibition of L-G-nominated members from voting.
AAP-BJP blame game over Delhi mayoral polls
Following the repeated postponement of Delhi mayoral elections due to uproar by councilors, the AAP and the BJP engaged in a blame game. Amid the SC hearing, the AAP accused the Centre of using "dishonest tactics" to seize control of MCD. The BJP, on the other hand, alleged that the AAP did not want polling in the MCD House as they feared losing.
Successive stall of MCD house amid ruckus
Three consecutive mayoral poll sessions were called off after AAP and BJP councilors clashed. The decision to give voting rights to nominated aldermen sparked outrage during the last session (February 6) even two months after the MCD elections concluded. The MCD recommended February 16 as the new date for the elections on Thursday, but it was postponed due to a Supreme Court hearing.
A little about AAP, BJP mayor candidates in fray
There are three nominees for the mayor's seat for this MCD election. Against the BJP's Rekha Gupta, the AAP fielded Shelly Oberoi and Ashu Thakur. Oberoi is the AAP's primary candidate for the position, with Thakur serving as a backup. For the deputy mayor's post, the AAP nominated the names of Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar (backup), while the BJP named Kamal Bagri.
Delhi mayor selection as per this rotation
The Delhi mayor's post rotates through five one-year terms. While the first term is reserved for women, the second and third years are for open and reserved category candidates, respectively. The remaining two terms are again reserved for open-category candidates. So, this time, Delhi will get a woman mayor picked by 250 councilors, 10 Delhi MPs, and 14 Delhi Legislative Assembly-nominated MLAs.
AAP's landmark victory in 2022 MCD polls
The Kejriwal-led AAP recorded a historic victory in last year's MCD polls, which saw the party end the saffron party's 15-year stint in the municipal body. In the December 4 MCD elections, the AAP secured 134 seats, while the BJP won 104 wards and came second. The Congress, on the other hand, managed to win just nine seats in the 250-member civic body.
