The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has taken legal action by approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the recent election of a member to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) standing committee. This legal challenge follows accusations by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaging in what she described as “murdering” democracy.
The controversy stems from the election held on September 27, which resulted in the BJP securing the last vacant seat on the MCD’s 18-member standing committee unopposed. The AAP’s councillors chose to abstain from voting, a decision that has fueled further dispute between the two major political parties in Delhi.
Chief Minister Atishi, at a recent press conference, declared the election “illegal and unconstitutional,” citing violations of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957. According to the DMC Act, only the mayor has the authority to set the date and place for these elections and preside over the council meeting where such elections are conducted.
The BJP has countered these accusations, with Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticizing Atishi’s comments as politically motivated. Sachdeva highlighted that sections of the DMC Act allow for the Lieutenant Governor and the Municipal Commissioner to intervene under special circumstances, which can include convening a meeting and appointing a presiding officer.
This legal confrontation follows a ruling by the Supreme Court on August 5, which supported the Lieutenant Governor’s authority to nominate aldermen to the MCD, a decision that was contested by the Delhi Government. The court stated that the Lieutenant Governor was not obligated to follow the advice of the council of ministers in these nominations.
