Uproar in MCD House over postponement of mayoral polls in Delhi

New Delhi: The MCD House session witnessed an uproar over the postponement of the mayoral elections that were slated to be held on Friday, with both AAP and BJP councillors raising slogans against each other before the proceedings of the House began.

Polls to elect the mayor and deputy mayor were postponed late Thursday night due to the non-appointment of the presiding officer of the elections.

BJP councillors surrounded the mayor's seat and raised slogans demanding the presence of Mayor Shelly Oberoi who was running late for the meeting.

AAP councillors initially raised slogans against the BJP near the Ambedkar statue at the corporation headquarters. Later, they reached the House and continued raising slogans against the opposition party calling them "Dalit Virodhi BJP".

The AAP has called the BJP "anti-Dalit", saying it was trying to ensure that a candidate from the reserved category does not become the mayor of Delhi.

The councillors of the two parties raised slogans against each other for about an hour.

After Mayor Oberoi reached the House, she accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of "murdering the Constitution" and using the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as an "excuse".

The mayor then adjourned the meeting of the Corporation House till the next meeting and left.

Elections to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi that were slated for April 26 were postponed, with the LG Saxena citing "unprecedented" circumstances where the chief minister is under judicial custody and cannot discharge his constitutionally obligated functions.

The civic body postponed the mayoral polls after the Raj Niwas issued a letter on behalf of Saxena, stating that the appointment of a presiding officer could not be made in the absence of inputs from the chief minister, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money laundering-linked excise policy case.

AAP minister Atishi alleged that the election was cancelled at the BJP's behest.