Forced to move SC to end BJP's illegal control over MCD: AAP

The AAP Friday said it was forced to approach the Supreme Court to end the BJP's ''illegal control'' over the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The Supreme Court has agreed to list for hearing on February 3 a plea of the AAP's mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi seeking directions to ensure the holding of the mayoral election in Delhi in a time-bound manner.

The mayoral election was stalled last Tuesday for the second time this month as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned indefinitely by the lieutenant governor-appointed presiding officer, following a ruckus by some councillors.

Chief spokesperson of AAP and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said, ''The country knows the AAP wants to get the mayor elections held freely and fairly but the BJP is seeking to illegally cling on to power in MCD.'' ''The AAP has demanded in the Supreme Court that elections of mayor, deputy mayor and standing Committee of MCD are held timely. The AAP has been forced to seek the Supreme Court's intervention to end the BJP's illegal control over MCD,'' he said.

The Supreme Court should give strict orders to the BJP-led Central government and the MCD... In the constitution and the DMC Act, aldermen do not have the right to vote but the BJP ''does not follow the Constitution and law'', Bhardwaj said.

Thanking the Supreme Court for scheduling a hearing next week, he said their plea calls for the swift and timely conduct of the long overdue mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee election in Delhi.

''We have implored the Supreme Court to ensure that the MCD elections take place without further delay as the people of Delhi urgently need a new mayor to lead the city.

''We have also requested the top court to ensure that the mayoral election is conducted following the Constitution and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which stipulate that aldermen of the MCD can not participate in the mayoral election,'' he said.

The first meeting of the newly-elected MCD House was adjourned on January 6 amid a ruckus by the AAP and BJP members, as did the second meeting last Tuesday.

The AAP won 134 of the 250 wards in the MCD polls held in December. The BJP managed to win 104 wards. ''The people of Delhi have given AAP a mandate to govern the MCD, but the BJP, through unethical and fraudulent means, is actively obstructing our efforts to conduct the mayoral election. It is unacceptable that they are using underhanded tactics to subvert the will of the people,'' Bhardwaj said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)