Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday reprimanded Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena for ordering the elections of the MCD standing committee members. The top court questioned the LG’s decision to appoint a presiding officer for the polls and raised aspersions over his interference in the democratic process.
While hearing Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi’s plea challenging the election of the sixth member of the MCD standing committee, the top court said, “What is the glaring hurry in holding elections? The nomination issue is also there.The mayor is to preside over the meeting. Where do you get the power? Under 487? It’s an executive power. What happens to democracy if you interfere like this?”
“This is not the way. Clubbing of these matters was also not justified. Cause of action arose in August 2024. You wait all this time…some amount of politics also in this. Exercise of 487 was wrong,” the court added.
“We see why you have done this. We can read between the lines. You should not have clubbed. Except for one commonality. Gives us an impression that you are getting over the delay in reaching this court,” the top court advocate Sanjay Jain appearing for Delhi LG
Bharatiya Janata party won the last vacant seat of MCD’s 18-member Standing Committee unopposed as the councillors of the ruling AAP and Congress boycotted the election. The BJP’s candidate Sunder Singh got all 115 votes of the party’s councillors while the AAP’s Nirmala Kumari did not receive any vote.
The standing committee is the highest decision-making body of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
With this poll result, the BJP now has 10 members in the panel while the ruling AAP has only eight.
The seat had fallen vacant after BJP councilor Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected as the Lok Sabha MP from West Delhi.
In the election, the BJP’s Sunder Singh got all 115 votes of the BJP councilors while the AAP’s Nirmala Kumari did not receive any vote.
