On Friday, the Supreme Court of India clarified that nominated members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) cannot vote in the mayoral election and added that “within 24 hours” notice for convening the first MCD meeting for elections to be issued.
The election of the Delhi mayor shall be conducted at the first MCD meeting. Once elected, the mayor shall preside over the election of deputy mayor, the apex court added.
Commenting on the SC ruling Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it was a victory of democracy and thanked the court.
“SC ruling on mayoral polls proves how LG, BJP passing ‘illegal, unconstitutional orders’,” Delhi CM said.
On Monday, vindicating the Aam Aadmi Party’s assertion, in its hearing, the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud observed that “nominated members cannot go for election”.
“The constitutional provision is very clear,” the bench observed. The court posted the matter for hearing on Friday.
Amid a prolonged tussle between the BJP and the AAP, there have been three failed attempts to elect the Mayor of Delhi.
Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had accepted a proposal by CM’s party to hold the election on February 16.
For the election of the MCD mayor, the electoral college comprises 250 elected councillors, seven Lok Sabha, and three Rajya Sabha MPs from Delhi. It also consists of 14 MLAs. To the civic body, the Delhi Assembly Speaker has nominated 13 MLAs of AAP and a BJP member.
In the civic body polls held in December last year, AAP won 134 wards and the BJP 104. In the mayoral polls, the total votes are 274. The numbers game is in favoure of AAP. It has 150 votes against the BJP’s 113.
The poll has been postponed to a date after February 17.