AAP and BJP councillors clashed on Friday over a dispute regarding BJP councillor and presiding officer Satya Sharma’s decision to administer the oath of 10 aldermen at the first meeting of the newly elected Municipal Corporation of Delhi House.
The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) House meeting was initially adjourned for an hour after four aldermen had taken their oaths. However, chaos ensued during the meeting soon after Sharma was administered the oath as presiding officer for the elections to the posts of MCD mayor and deputy mayor. After Sharma invited alderman Manoj Kumar to take oath, AAP MLAs and councillors began to protest against administering oaths to the alderman, and not the elected representatives, first.
The BJP accused AAP councillors of throwing mics and chairs. According to PTI reports, AAP councillors raised slogans and stood on the tables, including those of the presiding officer. The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) House meeting was later announced adjourned for the day and a next date will be announced later.
What is the Ruckus About and What Does Aldermen Mean?
The term ‘alderman’ originates back to Middle English, from Old English ‘ealdorman’, from ‘ealdor’ parent (from eald old) and man according to Marriam-Webster and was used for a person governing a kingdom, district, or shire as viceroy for an Anglo-Saxon king.
In India, a General Body of a Municipality or Municipal Corporation is comprised of elected representatives called Councillors. Councillors can nominate experts in their disciplines of the city to become members of this body. These nominated members are called ‘Aldermen’.
They cannot, however, cast votes in the mayoral election. Prior to the mayoral election in Delhi, the MCD received nominations for ten aldermen by Lt Governor VK Saxena.
AAP’s Stand
The AAP has alleged that Saxena has appointed BJP leaders who were not experts in civic issues as aldermen.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a letter to Lt Governor V K Saxena over the “unconstitutional” manner in which 10 aldermen were nominated to the MCD by bypassing the Delhi government.
He has said that traditionally, all files pertaining to nominations under Section 3(b)(i) are routed through the Urban Development Department which is the nodal department of the Municipal Corporation. “Such series of actions are blatantly unconstitutional, a colourable exercise of power, apart from constituting a fraud on the Constitution and display a worryingly scant regard for provisions of the Constitution, the law laid down by the highest court of the land as also settled convention and practice of the Government of Delhi,” he said.
AAP leader Atishi said, “BJP plans to get the alderman (10) to vote in the Mayoral and Deputy mayoral elections in an illegal manner.” Addressing the media shortly after the row, she said, “It is well established and well-settled point in law, that elected councillors cannot cast their votes. In 2015, nominated councillors went to HC asking for voting rights but the HC r3fused to accept it. It was challenged in a double bench, but a double bench also said that nominated members cannot vote.”
She further said, “Article 243 (R) clearly states that nominated members cannot vote.” Citing the DMC Act, she said the law stated that nominated members do not have the right to vote in any meetings of the corporation.’
Explaining why AAP councillors protested at the meeting today, she said, “BJP was conspiring to get the nominated members to vote and gain a majority in Mayoral, Deputy Mayoral and standing committee.”
BJP Hits Back
Attacking the AAP for a party of goondas, the BJP had said it will file an FIR against the Aam Aadmi Party for inciting violence in which few women councillors of the saffron party were struck by “sharp objects”.
BJP MP and union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said “What happened today is unprecedented. It is shameful”. Hitting at the Aam Aadmi Party, she said the ruckus was done by “those who claim themselves anarchist.” She also said many BJP’s women members were injured.
In response to AAP’s charges of unfair practices by the LG, she said Saxena has the power to send nominated members under section 3(3) 1. She accused the AAP of conspiracy to create a ruckus as they “don’t have the right to challenge the chair’s decision which is constitutional.”
“We have acted in the preview of law and constitution. The Administrator has the power and right to take decisions at his/her discretion. LG is the administrator in this case,” she asserted.
BJP MP Parvesh Verma further said two of female councillors, Anita Deoli and Inder Kaur were surrounded by AAP’s male councillors. “Five of them jostled around councillor Inder Kaur. With a sharp object, they struck her and she suffered a cut. When Anita came to her rescue, she also suffered a cut,” he told ANI.
The MCD House comprises 250 elected councillors. The mayor election is held through a secret ballot and councillors are free to vote for any candidate. The BJP’s seven Lok Sabha MPs from Delhi and the AAP’s three Rajya Sabha MPs and 14 MLAs nominated by the Delhi Assembly Speaker will also participate in the elections to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. Six members of the standing committee will also be elected. The Congress, which has nine councillors, has decided not to take part in the voting.
The AAP ended the BJP’s 15-year-rule in the MCD on December 4, winning 134 wards in the civic polls. The BJP managed to win 104 wards.
(With inputs from agencies)
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