Supreme Court Upholds LG's Power to Nominate Aldermen in Delhi

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the lieutenant governor's power to nominate aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), rejecting the AAP government's plea. This decision follows the AAP's victory over the BJP in the MCD elections, where the AAP secured 134 seats out of 250.

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the authority of Delhi's lieutenant governor to nominate aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), delivering a blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, dismissed the Delhi government's argument that the LG must act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers when nominating the 10 aldermen.

The court delivered its verdict after reserving it for nearly 15 months. In last year's observations, the Supreme Court had cautioned that empowering the LG to nominate members could potentially destabilize the elected body. The MCD consists of 250 elected and 10 nominated members. In December 2022, the AAP ended the BJP's 15-year rule by winning 134 seats, with the BJP securing 104 and the Congress nine.