The State Election Commissioner (SEC) on Wednesday deferred the announcement for conducting elections for the three municipal corporations after it received a communication from the Centre in this regard. The move came in for criticism from Opposition parties, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
There are 104 wards each in the North and the South Delhi Municipal Corporations. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has 64 wards.
Addressing the media SEC of Delhi, SK Srivastava said: “I received some communication from the Central Government at 4.30 PM, so I can’t announce the dates right now. We were about to announce them but now it will take another five-seven days to announce the dates.” "The Government perhaps desires reorganisation of the MCDs. May be they could re-unify the three corporations. So we have to think over it, and then announce the poll dates. We will examine their advice. If the three MCDs are unified, then we will have to decide accordingly. We are taking legal opinion on the issue," he added.
The SEC’s announcement drew a sharp reaction from Opposition parties. Reacting to the development, Arvind Kejriwal questioned the SEC, saying that the decision was taken under pressure.
“Can the Central Govt “direct” any EC to delay/cancel any elections? Under which provision? Are these “directions” binding on the EC? Why is the EC buckling under pressure?” Kejriwal tweeted.
Addressing the media, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the term of the Houses of the civic bodies in Delhi is ending, and there was a pre-announced press conference where the dates were to be announced. Now, under pressure from the BJP at the Centre, the dates have been withheld. Sisodia charged that never since Independence, has an "election commission acted in this manner". "It (election body) has bent, and knelt down before the BJP at the Centre, after getting scared of it (BJP)," he charged.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that the party “never fears elections and our organisation always stands prepared for polls.” “Ten years ago, the MCD was trifurcated into three parts but it did not help in betterment of administration and in fact caused an economic crisis in the civic bodies,” he said. The BJP president further alleged that the biased attitude of the Kejriwal Government towards the civic bodies has increased problems. “In the last seven years the Kejriwal Government has withheld municipal funds to weaken the civic bodies’ administration. The Centre has decided to intervene in this matter to improve its functioning,” he said.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Anil Kumar said that both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party are trying to postpone the municipal elections fearing defeat. “We demand that the Delhi Election Commission ensure that the polls should be held on time in a free and fair manner,” he said.