The country on Friday watched in shock newly-elected MCD councillors raining blows on each other, uprooting mikes and toppling tables and benches in a free for all inside the Civic Centre in the national Capital on Friday. As a result, voting to elect mayor and deputy mayor could not take place.
The next date of mayoral election will be decided and announced by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Visuals from the meeting showed shocking scenes of AAP and BJP workers hitting and pushing each other, hurling tables and chairs and even climbing on desks inside the meeting room of Civic Centre of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The Congress members walked out of the House amid allegations by the AAP that the party has struck a deal with the BJP. The AAP said never in the history of MCD has nominated members taken oath first and claimed that around a dozen of its councillors got injured during the scuffle.
On the other hand, the BJP claimed seven of its councillors sustained injuries and a couple of them were attacked by sharp objects.
According to MCD officials, it was for the first time in the history of the civic body that a newly elected House failed to elect a mayor and deputy mayor in its maiden meeting.
The meeting began with BJP councillor Satya Sharma being administered the oath as presiding officer for the elections to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. The scuffle began after the presiding officer invited nominated councillors or aldermen (those who traditionally cannot vote) to take oath ahead of the elected members (those who can vote). After Sharma invited alderman Manoj Kumar to take his oath, AAP MLAs and councillors raised slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many also rushed to the well of the House.
The BJP councillors retaliated, raising slogans against the AAP and its national convener Kejriwal. The councillors of both parties were seen pushing and shoving each other. Amid the din, the House was adjourned for over an hour. The situation remained chaotic even after the House was reconvened. It finally led to the adjournment of the House for the day.
“The LG office has been informed about the ruckus in the MCD House by Municipal Secretary Bhagwan Singh and MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti. The oath taken by the four aldermen is valid,” Sharma said. The next date for the MCD House meeting will be declared by the LG office, she said.
The AAP has alleged that the BJP made the alderman take oath first in order to get them voting rights for the election to mayor and deputy mayor. AAP members said elected councillors should have been sworn in before the nominated members.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the move to invite the nominated councillors for taking oath ahead of the elected ones in the mayoral polls unconstitutional. “Article 243R of the Constitution clearly debars nominated members from voting in the House. Attempting to get them to vote in the House is unconstitutional,” Kejriwal tweeted sharing the snippet of the Article.
Sources in Raj Niwas said “Administrator” means the LG of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the AAP is deliberately making efforts to mislead the issue.
The Lt Governor, who is the Administrator, has nominated 10 persons in pursuance of the powers vested in him vide Section 3(3)(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (DMC Act) 1957, sources said.
“Ten persons who are not less than 25 years of age and who have special knowledge or experience in municipal administration are to be nominated by the Administrator.” That the “Administrator” is the Lt. Governor is unequivocally provided for vide Section 2(1) of the MCD Act, 1957,” it said.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also hit out at the BJP and accused the party of “stooping low” to “hide the misdeeds” in the MCD. “BJP people will stoop so low to hide their misdeeds in the MCD! Elections were postponed, illegal appointment of the presiding officer, illegal appointment of nominated councillors, and now the public’s elected councillors are not being administered oath…. If you cannot respect the verdict of the public, then why the elections?” Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.
In a joint press conference with fellow parliamentarians Meenakshi Lekhi and Manoj Tiwari, West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma said the elected and the nominated have no difference. “The nominated members in MCD are called aldermen. Is it possible an alderman does not have voting rights?” he posed.
“The chaotic conditions witnessed today in the municipal corporation house would never have happened. A very shameful incident happened. This was done by those who have come to power by calling themselves ‘anarchists’. Arvind Kejriwal also calls himself ‘anarchist’,” the Union Minister added.
The AAP, which recorded a thumping win in last month’s civic body election to end the BJP’s 15-year reign, has accused its rivals of “hooliganism”. Not to be outdone, the BJP has claimed “ruckus (was) started by AAP leaders”. Either way chaos broke out within minutes or marshals had to control matters.