MCD Mayor Elections: House adjourned amid clash between AAP, BJP councillors

New Delhi: Amid chaos and clash between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party councillors at the Civic Center on Friday, the MCD House was adjourned even before the commencement of voting for mayoral polls.

Councillors from both parties clashed and then took to protests with sloganeering against each other ahead of the Delhi Mayor polls. Marshals had to make their presence felt as several councillors were injured in the process. BJP has claimed that its councillors Inder Kaur, Anita Deoli and Kamaljeet Sherawat sustained injuries during the protest while AAP took to social media to list its injured.

“There was a fatal attack on our councillor in the MCD House. BJP councillors involved in the attack,” AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Ruckus at Civic Center as BJP, AAP councillors clash with each other amid ensuing sloganeering ahead of Delhi Mayor polls. pic.twitter.com/v1HXUxawSC

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2023

A huge ruckus was witnessed at the Civic Centre, before the commencement of voting for the Delhi mayor elections, over the swearing-in of nominated councillors. High drama ensued in the house for over an hour as Delhi was all set to elect its first single mayor in 10 years after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was unified last year.

High pitched ruckus was heard in the MCD House as the presiding officer invited alderman Manoj Kumar to take oath first. The presiding officer, MCD commissioner and other officials left the House after the ruckus.

Delhi | I appealed for the normal proceedings but they want to create a ruckus & climbed the desk. If they sit peacefully, we are ready for the swearing-in of everybody: Presiding officer Satya Sharma pic.twitter.com/haAEWFd5lI

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2023

Aam Aadmi Party, which won the MCD polls, with 134 seats has fielded two candidates – Shelly Oberoi along with Ashu Thakur. While Rekha Gupta, a three-term councillor from Shalimar Bagh, is the BJP’s nominee for the mayor poll.

BJP MPs Dr Harsh Vardhan and Gautam Gambhir along with Pravesh Verma and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri were present during the proceedings of the house.

#WATCH | Delhi: Chaos continues at Civic Center as BJP, AAP councillors hold protests with sloganeering against each other ahead of Delhi Mayor polls. Marshals are present inside. pic.twitter.com/gUUK3ozcBu

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2023

The AAP, which ended the 15-year-long reign of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the MCD polls held on December 4, has cried foul play over Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s decision to appoint BJP councillor Satya Sharma as the presiding officer of MCD and 10 aldermen to the civic body.

As the House was adjourned over the ruckus, the LG House issued a clarification and said that any attempts to deviate from the decision or create confusion regarding it by the Aam Aadmi Party is nothing but its characteristic politics of deceit, blatant lies and deliberate attempts at misleading.

MCD Mayor polls | All the ruckus is started by AAP leaders. This is because they are unaware of the rules. When they are in majority, why are they afraid? AAP MPs do the same in Rajya Sabha as well. They should allow voting: BJP MP & Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi pic.twitter.com/lDkHzuzuGg

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2023

Along with the post of mayor and deputy mayor, the standing committee members will also be elected. Seven candidates are in the fray for 6 posts on the Standing Committee. Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Amil Malik, Raminder Kaur, Mohini Jeenwal and Sarika Chowdhary while BJP has Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Gajendra Daral and Pankaj Luthra as its candidates for the Standing Committee.

Along with this, 7 Lok Sabha MPs of Delhi, 3 Rajya Sabha MPs and 14 MLAs among the nominated people, who have been made on the consent of the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, will also take part in the voting. The AAP has named Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar as the contenders for the deputy mayor’s post, who have been pitted against Ram Nagar councillor Kamal Bagri.