The State Election Commission (SEC) has issued an order putting on hold the elections of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) in the national Capital, as the Bill to unify the corporations was passed by Parliament.
The elections to the MCD were deferred last month after the Ministry of Home Affairs conveyed to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi informing that the Centre was bringing an amendment for integration of the three MCDs.
“As the Central Government has now notified ‘The Delhi Municipal (Amendment) Act 2022’ and which has been duly published by Ministry of Law and Justice, Govt. of India in the gazette of India on 18th April and wherein three municipal corporations in Delhi, have been reconstituted to have a unified single municipal corporation with a maximum of 250 municipal wards instead of existing 272 wards in all three Corporations, stated order.
“Pursuant to enactment of The Delhi Municipal (Amendment) Act 2022, whereby three municipal corporations in Delhi have ceased to exist and have been replaced by a unified single municipal corporation,” said the order. “I, S. K. Srivastava, SEC of N.C.T. of Delhi, under powers conferred upon me under Articles 243 ZA of Constitution of India read with Section 7 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, do hereby keep on hold all preparatory steps for conduct of general election to three Municipal Corporations of Delhi, and rescind following notifications with immediate effect,” order stated.
“The Commission had made all preparations for conduct of general election to the three municipal Corporations, e.g. appointment of District Election Officers, Observers, Expenditure Observers, Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, purchase of election material, adoption of Electoral Roll and symbol order, development of Web based Software and mobile Apps, training, EVMs arrangement on loan basis from Election Commission of India and their preparation through ECU, requisition of polling and counting staff from the Govt, of India and Delhi Govt, logistical arrangements for transport,” order further said.
“To constitute the House to the single unified Corporation having a maximum of 250 wards, fresh delimitation of wards and reservation of seats for specified categories of persons, e.g. Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Caste (Women), Women and General, shall have to be undertaken, besides other allied actions which may be envisaged in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957 and as amended by the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022. This exercise may take a considerable time,” order said.
With the notification of the merging three MCDs into one entity, the Centre will soon appoint a special officer to run the corporation.