New Delhi, (Samajweekly) After the Supreme Court on Friday held that nominated members in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) cannot vote in the Mayoral polls, the Aam Aadmi Party hailed the decision as victory, and said the Mayoral election will finally be held now after a wait of around two-and-a-half months.
The AAP also accused the BJP and Delhi L-G of illegally controlling the municipality during the delay, even as it demanded L-G V.K. Saxena to step down from his post.
Speaking to mediapersons after the SC ruling, AAP MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said, “Delhi L-G has no moral right to continue in his post… He must resign immediately. The Supreme Court’s ruling is a tight slap on the face of BJP and L-G.”
He asserted that this is a huge victory for the Aam Aadmi Party and the people of Delhi, which will free the MCD from the shackles of BJP.
“Delhi will finally get its Mayor and Deputy Mayor after two-and-a-half months. Now the dream of cleaning the city does not seem unachievable. For the last two-and-a-half months, the BJP and the L-G have been illegally controlling the municipality, taking undemocratic decisions on their own will,” he said.
Reiterating AAP’s faith in the judicial process, Pathak said, “This judgement is going to be remembered for days to come. It will increase the faith of the public in the judiciary. This judgement will also stand as a reality check for the BJP, whom the court has told in bold words that it must sit in the opposition now.”
Earlier on Friday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, also ordered issuance of a notice convening the first meeting of the MCD in 24 hours and fixing the date for electing the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and members of the standing committee of the MCD.
The bench, also comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, accepted AAP’s plea that after the Mayor gets elected, he/she would preside over the elections of Deputy Mayor and members of the standing committee, and not the pro-tem presiding officer.
