In Delhi, BJP outpaces AAP in MCD ward committee polls
Delhi's mayor and lieutenant governor over the elections for the MCD ward and standing committees had little impact on the voting process on Wednesday. The elections proceeded smoothly, resulting in a notable win for the BJP, which secured victories in seven out of twelve zones, while the AAP managed to win in only five zones.
Despite a clash over election procedures, AAP councillors took part in the process, which was overseen by deputy commissioners of the respective zones. This election had been pending for 20 months since the civic polls held in December 2022. The new zonal committees will be instrumental in decentralising discussions on local issues, speeding up resolutions, and overseeing project implementation.
Before the elections, Mayor Shelly Oberoi objected to the deputy commissioners conducting the polls, claiming that they were not authorised presiding officers. She also deemed the election notices issued by the municipal secretary as «null and void.» Despite her objections and refusal to appoint presiding officers, Oberoi participated in the election for the Karol Bagh ward committee later in the day.
Oberoi's letter to MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar argued that the deputy commissioners lacked the authority to oversee the elections and that the intervention by the lieutenant governor was improperly executed. She argued that Section 487 of the Delhi Municipal Act, which was cited for the order, did not allow for such an intervention and that the central government or lieutenant governor could not
