The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Wednesday, a petition filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the decision of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena permitting members nominated by him to vote in the Municipal Corporation elections for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter on Tuesday before the Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud.
The Counsel submitted that a temporary protem person enabling his nominated members to vote during the municipal polls was a ‘brazen’ act and murder of democracy. The CJI agreed to list the matter tomorrow.
Earlier in January this year, the Bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justice Dipankar Datta had agreed to hear the petition seeking time-bound elections to the post of Delhi Mayor.
The petition was filed by Dr. Shelly Oberoi, AAP’s candidate for the civic body’s top post, along with Leader of the House in MCD, Mukesh Goyal.
The petition had alleged that the BJP-led Central government was not keen to conduct the elections.
It sought intervention of the Apex Court to complete the process of Delhi MCD polls. The MCD Mayor polls have been adjourned thrice in the past two months.
Yesterday, the Mayoral elections were postponed after a ruckus erupted over the nominated members being allowed to vote in the election to the post.
On January 24, elections to the post of Delhi Mayor were postponed due to a ruckus between Councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Presiding Officer Satya Sharma, appointed by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, had adjourned the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House sine die on Tuesday, stating that the proceedings could not be conducted amid sloganeering from both AAP and BJP Councillors.
On January 6 also, the Mayoral elections were postponed following clashes between AAP and BJP councillors.
AAP National Spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulged in hooliganism to halt the MCD proceedings.
The plea by AAP further sought directions from the Apex Court not to allow the 10 nominated Councillors to vote, stating that Aldermen did not have the right to exercise their franchise under Article 243R of the Constitution and Section 3 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957.