High drama played out during the election of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Scheduled Caste Welfare Committee on Thursday, with AAP and BJP trading charges. AAP alleged that the election was hurriedly conducted to ensure panel posts for the BJP councillors While Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi accused AAP councillors of disrupting the election process.
The BJP candidates for the panel were declared unopposed after the election, which AAP alleged was conducted in violation of rules. AAP councillors alleged that the election was originally scheduled for 3 pm on Thursday but was advanced and conducted in the absence of their councillors. They further alleged that the seats on the SC panel were arbitrarily reduced from 35 to 21 to ensure that the BJP gets the chairperson and vice-chairperson posts. AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition in the MCD Ankush Narang said: “The BJP-ruled MCD reduced the number of Dalit members in the SC/ST Welfare Committee from 35 to just 21 with the objective of appointing its own chairperson and vice-chairperson.
The Mayor said AAP had not nominated a candidate for the election and questioned the party’s decision to oppose the process despite not fielding a candidate .”When the dates for filing nomination forms for the election were announced, the Aam Aadmi Party did not submit a form; consequently, the candidate was declared elected unopposed,” Mayor Wahi said.
