Chief Justice of India said that “law is very clear that the alderman have no right to vote”.
New Delhi:
Election of Delhi’s Mayor, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed as the Supreme Court will now hear the matter on Friday. The decision came after the Lieutenant Governor, and others, said they were ready to postpone the elections.
On Aam Aadmi Party’s request that elections be held without the alderman as they are nominated members of the civic body and don’t have the right to vote, the Chief Justice of India said that “law is very clear that the alderman have no right to vote”.
Amid a prolonged tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP, there have been three failed attempts to elect the Mayor.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had earlier accepted a proposal by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s party to hold the Mayor election on February 16.
The Mayor could not be elected when the councillors met on January 6 and 24, and February 6, due to protests by the BJP and AAP after 10 MCD members nominated by the Lieutenant Governor were allowed to vote.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act also says nominated members, or aldermen, cannot vote in house meetings.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has strongly opposed voting rights for the aldermen nominated by the Lieutenant Governor, who was appointed by the Centre and faces allegations of furthering BJP’s agenda by trying to hinder the Delhi government’s work. The party alleges that these nominated members are inclined to support the BJP.