In a recent hearing at the Delhi High Court, two AAP councillors retracted their petitions after the court expressed its reluctance to interfere with the scheduled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) ward committee elections. The elections are set to take place on September 4, with the nomination deadline being August 30.
The pleas, initially filed by AAP councillors Prem Chauhan of the Dakshin Puri ward and Tilotma Choudhary of the Dabri ward, sought a rescheduling of the elections. They argued that there was insufficient time to file nominations for the elections, which are crucial for selecting the chairman, deputy chairman of 12 zonal ward committees, and a member from each of these panels for the MCD Standing Committee.
During the nearly 45-minute hearing, Justice Purushaindra Kaurav clarified the court’s stance, stating, “It is the election schedule declared by the MCD commissioner. The court cannot come in between and direct the commissioner to prescribe the schedule in a particular way. If you are sincere and want to participate, you should have gone to the corporation.”
The councillors’ counsel, upon realizing the court’s position, requested permission to withdraw their petitions, which Justice Kaurav allowed. He emphasized, “Yes yes, 100 per cent I am not inclined. No doubt about it.”
The petitions highlighted individual difficulties faced by the councillors, with Chauhan citing health issues and Choudhary being out of Delhi, both of which purportedly left them unprepared for the nomination process. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Chauhan, pleaded for a brief postponement of two to three days to ensure broader participation and a fair electoral process.
However, the judge suggested that the councillors should have approached the MCD directly for accommodations regarding their circumstances rather than seeking judicial intervention. The court maintained that altering the election timeline is the prerogative of the MCD chief, and it is not within the judiciary’s remit to dictate these administrative decisions.
