Delhi govt recommends LG to hold mayor polls on Feb 22

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday recommended to Lt Governor V K Saxena that the mayoral election be held on February 22.

This comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of election for mayor, deputy mayor and members of the Standing Committee.

In a shot in the arm for the ruling AAP, the apex court on Friday also held that members nominated by the LG to the MCD cannot vote to elect the mayor.

“Recommended MCD Mayor elections to be held on 22 Feb,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to be elected in the very first session of the House after the civic polls. However, it’s been over two months since the municipal elections were held on December 4 and Delhi is yet to get a mayor.

The MCD could not elect the mayor on three previous occasions amid tumult as AAP and BJP councillors quarrelled over the voting rights of the nominated members.

The first meeting of the newly elected MCD House was adjourned on January 6 amid clashes between AAP and BJP members.

The AAP, which holds the majority in the 250-member House with 134 councillors, has alleged that the saffron party is trying to steal its mandate by giving voting rights to the nominated members. The BJP won 104 wards to finish second.