New Delhi: After full-blown chaos in the House of the Delhi Municipal Corporation during the elections to the six-member Standing Committee on Friday, the newly-elected mayor, Shelly Oberoi, announced that there will be re-election on Monday, February 27.
Prior to the announcement of re-election, the House was witness to utter chaos. Both BJP and AAP councillors had vied with each other in creating a ruckus. Videos show councillors chasing each other to attack, push away, slap, kick and rain blows on their opponents. Some councillors were seen with their kurtas torn.
The ruckus had begun after the mayor declared one vote out of 242 votes cast would be invalid and the result would be declared without including the invalid vote. Soon the BJP interrupted the counting of votes, objecting to the decision to invalidate one vote from the votes cast. Following this, members of AAP and the BJP shouted slogans against each other and began to physically fight with one another.
According to BJP councillors, the invalid vote would make the AAP candidate win. “The vote is valid. If it is invalid, according to our calculation, the AAP’s candidate will win,” a BJP councillor, whose shirt button was torn open, had told NDTV.
The mayor had then said the result would be declared without counting the invalid vote. “One side is ready for recounting, while the other side is not. That is why I’m not recounting. The result is being declared without the invalid vote,” said the newly-elected mayor, according to the news channel.
The election to Standing Committee is significant given that the six-member panel holds the executive powers in the corporation while the mayor is a nominal head. The panel has the authority to grant financial approval to projects, discussions related to and the finalisation of policies to be implemented, appoint sub-committees (on various subjects such as education, environment, parking, etc.) and form regulations.
On the other hand, the mayor’s powers are limited to convening special meetings of the House, declaring quorum for the House to call sittings, and disqualifying members if they do not furnish details of their assets.
Although the Standing Committee in total has 18 members, six members are elected by councillors in the House, others are elected by Ward Committees later. A clear majority in the Committee is important for any political party to have control of the policy and financial decisions of the corporation.
Earlier too, on Wednesday, the House had witnessed a great drama after BJP and AAP councillors divided into two camps hit each other, threw water bottles at each other and also hurled half-eaten apples at each other after Shelly Oberoi of the AAP was elected as the mayor.
The mayor had alleged that she was attacked by BJP members preventing her from carrying out proceedings for election to the six-member Standing Committee. Due to the pandemonium in the House, the mayor on Wednesday adjournment and called for the election on Friday. Although the election was held on Friday, a ruckus broke out during the counting of votes. The mayor then called for re-election on Monday, February 27.