After full-blown chaos, MCD's Standing Committee to be re-elected on Monday

All hell broke loose on Friday after Oberoi stalled the recounting of votes for electing the members of the all-powerful MCD Standing Committee following objections raised by AAP. It was free for all in the MCD House with BJP and AAP councillors trading blows at each other, showing scant disregard for the sanctity of the House.

Following ruckus for the third straight day, the House of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was on Friday adjourned till Monday morning with Mayor Shelly Oberoi announcing that re-election to pick the Standing Committee members will be held at 11 am on February 27.

All hell broke loose on Friday after Oberoi stalled the recounting of votes for electing the members of the all-powerful MCD Standing Committee following objections raised by AAP.

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It was free for all in the MCD House with BJP and AAP councillors trading blows at each other, showing scant disregard for the sanctity of the House.

Protesting against the Mayor's decision to stall the recounting process, BJP councillors started breaking mikes, tearing ballot papers and even damaged the polling booths amid sloganeering.

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"The poll to elect the members of the Standing Committee will be held on February 27," Oberoi said amid sloganeering by councillors from both sides in the House.

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"Today is a most unfortunate day. The House's reputation was not taken care of. Before the Standing Committee election, we heard BJP's demands and made sure that they were met. But when the counting started and they (BJP) realised that they are losing, BJP councillors created a ruckus," Oberoi said while addressing the media after the House was adjourned.

"They have not just targeted me, but other women councillors were also targeted. They are not just disrespecting the House, but the Chair of the Mayor too. Today, I want to appeal to the BJP to accept defeat," said Oberoi.

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AAP leader Atishi said, "I appeal to the BJP to accept the mandate of the people of Delhi. The people have thrown them away and let AAP run the show. If the Mayor is not safe, how can the other women feel safe?"

On BJP's allegations, Atishi showed a video and said, "You can see all the videos chronologically and you'll see who started the ruckus. AAP councillors who were standing up, I was trying to back them off. After this presser, we will go to the Kamla Market police station and file an FIR against the BJP for the 'murder attempt' on a women councillor of AAP."

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Oberoi later tweeted: "Requested an urgent appointment with the @DelhiPolice Commissioner tomorrow regarding the attack on me by BJP Councillors in the MCD House."

Earlier, Oberoi had said while stalling the recounting process that one party is ready for the process, while the other is not.

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"So I am stopping the recounting process," Oberoi said.

 

BJP opposes re-election for Standing Committee, demands fresh MCD elections


The BJP's Delhi unit on Friday said Mayor Shelly Oberoi's adjournment of the MCD House and order for re-election of the Standing Committee on February 27 proved that Aam Aadmi Party is unable to digest its defeat.

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Delhi BJP's former President Vijender Gupta and General Secretary Harsh Malhotra claimed that the AAP was trying to convert its defeat into victory by arbitrariness after the counting of votes of the Standing Committee.

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They said that due to the pressure of BJP councillors and non-cooperation in the dishonesty by municipal officials, the AAP could not convert its defeat into victory, so in the end it has been announced to conduct standing committee elections again.

The BJP leaders issued copies of the report of the Municipal Secretary and election counting experts, according to which the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party had won three seats each in the Standing Committee, but the Mayor refused to accept it.

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They said they oppose re-holding of Standing Committee elections and demand the Ministry of Home Affairs ask the Municipal Commissioner for a report "on the murder of democracy in the Municipal Corporation" and dissolve it and order a re-election.

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