Power in more zones may give AAP edge in key MCD committee

The Aam Aadmi Party, which won 134 wards in the MCD elections, is expected to dominate seven of the 12 zones, with four will be controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that won 104 seats. In one ward, two Congress members will play a key role in decision making

The Union home ministry has finalised the distribution of wards under the 12 administrative zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) --- another key step in the unification of the civic body.

Aam Aadmi Party supporters celebrate at the party headquarters in New Delhi. (ANI)

The Aam Aadmi Party, which won 134 wards in the MCD elections, is expected to dominate seven of the 12 zones, with four will be controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that won 104 seats. In one ward, two Congress members will play a key role in decision making.

Each zone is governed by a ward committee, a structure provided the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957, that takes various administrative decisions in a zone. these committees consist of all elected councillors from that zone and nominated member (alderman) if any. LG has power to nominate 10 such aldermen altogether. There is no mandate on the number that can be nominated from one zone. It could be zero or all ten can come from same zone thereby altering the power balance. Aldermen have power to vote in wards committee level.

Each ward committee elects a member to the all-powerful MCD standing committee. Therefore, the party that controls more zones and ward committees wields greater control in the standing committee.

A senior municipal official explained that usually the standing committee, which clears all policies and financial proposals before they are taken up for discussion in the House, consists of 12 members. Six of these are directly elected by the councillors in the House. The rest are elected by the ward committees. “However, after reunification it might be possible that the Centre may increase the number of members in the standing committee to ensure that each of the 12 ward committees are represented in the powerful body. But, it all depends on the Union government which is empowered to interpret and provide this provision through the DMC Act,” he said.

“But, the fact remains that whichever party controls more wards, and has majority in the House, will effectively control the standing committee,” he said.

The Centre merged the three civic bodies in Delhi in May and redrew the boundaries of municipal wards, reducing the total number of the seats from 272 to 250. The Union government notified the new zones on December 6, through a notification, which along with the earlier notification finalising the boundaries of the new wards, completed the new structure of the unified MCD. According to the notification, the number of wards under these zones vary from 12 under the smallest City-Sadar Paharganj zone which comprises of old Delhi, to a maximum of 35 wards under the Shahadra North zone in east Delhi.

According to the results of the MCD elections announced on Wednesday, BJP has a clear advantage in Shahdara North, Shahdara South, Najafgarh and Keshavpuram zones. And, the Aam Admi Party will dominate South, West, Karol Bagh, City-Sadar Paharganj, Rohini, Civil Lines and Narela zones.

In the Central zone, of the 25 councillors who will be members of the ward committee 13 are from the AAP, 10 from the BJP, 2 from Congress.

Prem Chauhan, the former leader of opposition in South MCD who has been re-elected from Dakshinpuri ward said that the distribution of the wards will be studied by the party, and if any unfair allocation has been made it will be raised at appropriate forum.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the party councillors will play effective opposition in all committees.