Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor, Shelly Oberoi withdrew her petition in the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking a time-limited conduct of the mayoral elections in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Oberoi, the party’s mayoral nominee, informed a Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud that the elections are scheduled for February 6.
Representing Shelly Oberoi, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi and Shadan Farasat stated that the petition’s purpose had been served by the announcement of the poll date.
On January 6, the maiden meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) newly-elected House was adjourned without electing a Mayor due clashes between AAP and BJP councillors over the 10 aldermen-nominated to the civic body by the Lieutenant Governor- being administered the oath first.
The AAP also claimed that presiding officer Satya Sharma, a BJP councillor, gave the aldermen the right to vote in the Mayor’s election, which is against the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957.
Counsel for the AAP suggested that if the aldermen were allowed to vote, they would return to the Supreme Court.
The MCD vote results were announced more than 50 days ago, but the mayoral election has not yet taken place in the nation’s capital. The rescheduled House meeting on January 24 was postponed because of a commotion, and a third attempt to finish the unfinished business is slated for February 6.
The Deputy Mayor and six members of the standing committee of the municipal body will also be chosen during the upcoming House meeting in addition to the election of the Mayor.
The AAP won over 134 seats out of 250 in the MCD poll results on December 7, followed by the BJP with 104 seats.
In addition to the elected council members, Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha MPs, three Rajya Sabha MPs, and 14 MLAs, 13 from the AAP and one from the BJP, who were nominated by the Delhi Assembly Speaker will vote in the elections for mayor and deputy mayor.
