The MCD Ward and Standing Committee Elections were cancelled Tuesday evening, just a day before they were scheduled to be held, after Mayor Shelly Oberoi refused to appoint a presiding officer, saying her conscience did not allow her to participate in an "undemocratic election process". The elections were scheduled to be held after a 19-month delay following the Supreme Court order in August which said that the MCD aldermen could be appointed by the L-G without any consultations with the Delhi government. Sixty councillors from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress are in the race for positions as chairman, deputy chairman, and standing committee member across 12 MCD zones.
Oberoi, however, said Tuesday that her conscience does not allow her to participate in undemocratic election process. "I have received multiple representations from councillors unable to file nomination due to only one day notice," the mayor said, adding, "Providing sufficient time for nomination is essential to upholding the fairness of democratic process."
Referring to the municipal secretary, she said that he took five days to notify the election after her directions. "So how can only one day be given for filing nominations," she asked. "Never before in the history of MCD has such little time been given for filing of nomination," she said.
She has now directed MCD commissioner Ashwini Kumar to restart the election process giving at least a week's notice for filing the nomination.
In a statement, DMC's Leader of Opposition, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, criticised the Mayor and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their failure to appoint chairpersons for the ward committees, arguing that it reflects "their acceptance of defeat not only in the ward committees but also in the Standing Committee".
Singh criticised the AAP for "wasting two years of the municipal corporation's tenure, with development work in the wards coming to a halt". He mentioned that the situation has reached a point where the Municipal Commissioner will need to ensure adherence to constitutional provisions.
"The BJP is set to win the Municipal Ward Committee elections tomorrow," the statement added.
The Delhi BJP said that by refusing to appoint Presiding Officers for MCD Ward Committees elections the Mayor has throttled democracy.
Dr. Shelly Oberoi needs to be dismissed as she has lost all constitutional and ethical right to stay as Mayor and she has pushed MCD towards brink of possible dissolution, the BJP said.