Mayoral polls put o as L-G says can’t appoint presiding o cer without CM’s inputs
AAP reminds he had acted without advice of CM several times in the past, calls move ‘anti-Dalit’ as Mayor was to be elected from the community; BJP says polls declared without required approvals
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday postponed the mayoral elections after Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena refused to appoint a presiding ocer for it in “the absence of inputs from the Chief Minister”, according to a statement.
The elections were scheduled to be held on Friday after the Election Commission of India gave a goahead for it. The civic body statement did not mention as to when the polls will be held now.
According to the statement, Raj Niwas said “in the absence of inputs from the CM, the L-G does not deem it appropriate to exercise his power as Administrator to appoint the presiding ocer”. The LG’s oce did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the BJP blamed the ruling party for the situation, saying the elections were declared without following due procedure and necessary approvals.
The delay in the appointment of the presiding ocer had resulted in a major row, with Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleging on Tuesday that Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar sent a le related to it to Raj Niwas bypassing him.
‘Done at BJP’s behest’
The ruling AAP alleged that the L-G oce acted at the “behest of the BJP-led Centre”. “There have been several past instances where the L-G did not follow the aid and advice of the CM,” AAP leader Durgesh Pathak told reporters.
Mr. Pathak also called the L-G’s move anti-Dalit.
“This time a Dalit was to be elected as the Mayor. The cancellation of the elections is an insult to the Dalit community,” he said.
Reacting to it, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said AAP leaders should rst tell people as to why the mayoral polls were declared without the crucial appointment. He alleged that AAP pressured the Municipal Commissioner and the Municipal Secretary to declare the polls without taking necessary approvals.
‘BJP feared setback’
The Congress, AAP’s INDIA bloc partner, said the polls were delayed as the BJP did not want to suer a setback before the completion of the Lok Sabha election.