A day before the Municipal Corporation of Delhi House meeting, both AAP and the BJP expressed confidence in winning the mayoral elections, even as the dispute between the two parties — over the sequence in which the nominated members (or aldermen) and the elected councillors will be administered the oath — threatens to derail the House proceedings again.
Several AAP leaders said the party would protest on Tuesday if the aldermen are allowed to take oath before the elected councillors.
Members of AAP had launched a protest in the MCD’s first House meeting on January 6 over the decision of the presiding officer — BJP councillor Satya Sharma — to first administer the oath to the 10 aldermen nominated by the L-G, while accusing the BJP of trying to rig the mayoral elections through its attempt to provide voting rights to the aldermen. In response, the BJP had said that the House was run as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and accused AAP of disturbing the proceedings.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said, “We are confident that if everything goes on smoothly, Delhi’s next Mayor will be from the BJP.” On the issue of who will take the oath first, he said, “I don’t understand why there is a problem over who takes the oath first. Everybody has to take the oath. The presiding officer will decide the order.”
Clarifying his party’s stand on the issue, AAP’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said that as per the civic body agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, councillors are supposed to take the oath before the aldermen. “The people of Delhi have given a huge mandate to AAP, which must be respected. We appeal to the BJP to cooperate in convening the House and the elections tomorrow based on this agenda list,” he said.
“We will closely monitor the House meeting and protest against any wrongdoing. But we will ensure that the Mayor is elected,” said AAP councillor Mukesh Goel.
