'Unconstitutional': Arvind Kejriwal after mayoral voting disrupted amid ruckus
Delhi mayoral elections: The House was adjourned before voting could happen.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it was "unconstitutional" to let nominated councillors vote in the mayoral polls as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital had a fresh stand-off with the BJP n Civic Center where arguments escalated into an exchange of physical blows. Kejriwal continued to attack the rival party after his AAP colleagues alleged that elected nominated councillors, those who can't traditionally vote, were invited to take oath ahead of elected members.
In his tweet, the Delhi Chief Minister wrote: "Article 243R of the Constitution clearly debars nominated members from voting in the House. Attempt to get them to vote in the House is unconstitutional. (sic)". He also shared a snippet of the Article in the post.
Earlier, his deputy, Manish Sisodia had also lashed out in a tweet: "How much lower will you stoop to hide what you did in the MCD, BJP members? Illegal nomination of councillors, and not letting the elected councillors take oath... if you can't respect people's mandate, then why hold elections?" Sisodia wrote in Hindi.
The AAP had last month ended the BJP's 15-year-long reign in the civic body in the national capital with a handsome win in the election for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). On Friday, voting was set to take place for the new mayor for the first time after three civic bodies were unified into one last year. But the House saw chaos within no time after the session started.
Ruckus began after presiding officer Satya Sharma - appointed by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over the AAP's recommendation of Mukesh Goyal - invited nominated councillors or aldermen (those who traditionally cannot vote) to take oath ahead of elected members (those who can vote).
The LG will announce new dates for mayoral voting.
While Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Mohammed Iqbal are the AAP candidates for the post of MCD mayor and deputy mayor, Rekha Gupta and Kamal Bagdi are the BJP's candidates for the two respective posts.
Targeting Arvind Kejriwal's party following the chaos, Rekha Gupta was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, “The AAP fears losing. Climbing on the table of the presiding officer, breaking mics and throwing chairs – the culture they're developing is condemnable. Some of them (AAP councillors) had come to the MCD house after consuming liquor.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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