New Delhi: The L-G-nominated members and 10 aldermen will take oath first on Tuesday as the Municipal Council resumes to elect mayors days after the proceedings of the house derailed and ended in a ruckus over not administrating oath to elected councillors first. Presiding Officer Satya Sharma expressed hope that the house this time will go without any
untoward incident.
“As per the agenda, nominated members and alderman will take oath first. Then other members will take the oath. I don’t think the AAP will create such an issue because it is their loss. I am hopeful we will be able to elect the Mayor tomorrow,” she said.
The second municipal house after the recent high-stakes civic polls in the national capital is slated to take place on Tuesday during which the mayor and deputy mayor of Delhi will be elected. The mayor and deputy mayor are to be elected in the very first house that convenes after a municipal poll, which could not happen on January 6 as the house was adjourned following a ruckus between the AAP and BJP members.
BJP councillor Satya Sharma, who was appointed as the presiding officer, said all preparations for the second house have been done. “We are ready for Tuesday. I have informed the L-G and his MCD secretary about the ruckus of the last time,” Sharma said, adding that the councillors who were involved in the January 6 tussle should bear the expense of the damage.
The maiden meeting of the newly elected MCD council on January 6 was adjourned without mayor and the deputy mayor amid loud protests by AAP councillors over the presiding officer’s decision to administer oath to the 10 aldermen first. Additionally, both parties have put up strong candidates for the posts of Mayor, Dy Mayor and Standing Committee members and since the anti-defection law is not applicable in this election, there are strong chances of an extremely tight fight between the two parties. AAP has a majority with 134 seats, BJP has 105 seats, Congress has 9 and there are two independent candidates. AAP leaders have stated that the Mayor will be from AAP only and it’s their right as the ruling party.
However, there is no surety as to if the national Capital will get a Mayor or not today. With both parties at each other’s helms, there is a chance of another house session that ends in vain. It is integral that MCD’s political wing takes before Febuary 15, otherwise Special Officer Ashwani Kumar will have to approve the budget presented by Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti.