Delhi HC allows withdrawal of plea over use of phones during MCD standing committee polls

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed BJP councillor Sharad Kapoor to withdraw his plea which alleged that city mayor Shelly Oberoi defied established norms and propriety by allowing the use of mobile phones and pens during the election of standing committee members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The matter was listed for hearing before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav.

Kapoor had approached the high court last week following the voting for six standing committee members held on February 22 and prayed that it should be declared null and void.

Fresh polls for the MCD’s highest decision-making body were, however, conducted on the mayor’s order on February 24, the day the plea was heard by the high court.

The polling held on February 24 also remained inconclusive and the mayor announced re-election on February 27 but the decision was stayed by the high court in another matter.

In his petition, Kapoor had said the mayor “defied every constitutional and statutory norm” and “betrayed the mandate of the Constitution by allowing mobile phones and pens in the election proceedings” held on February 22.

“In a bizarre turn of events, the newly-appointed mayor, in a brazen defiance of constitutionally-established norms and propriety, allowed the councillors to bring their mobile phones and pens during the voting process with the malafide intent of manipulating and vitiating the election process,” the petition filed by Kapoor through advocate Neeraj said.

The petitioner said he, along with others, had staged a vociferous protest against this “illegal and arbitrary act”.

In a special hearing held on February 25, a Saturday, the high court had stayed the re-election for six members of the MCD standing committee which was scheduled for February 27.