MCD likely to elect mayor, deputy mayor amid apprehension of AAP vs BJP clash

Delhi is likely to get a collective mayor after over a decade today, as the Delhi municipal house will convene to elect the mayor and deputy mayor of the National Capital. The previous attempt to elect the city's top civic officials had failed weeks ago amid a ruckus between AAP and BJP councillors.

On January 6, the 250-strong Municipal Corporation of Delhi met for the first time since AAP scored a landslide victory over BJP but the two sides clashed over the presiding officer's decision to administer the oath of office to the 10 nominated members first. The proceedings of the house will begin today at 11 am.

A ruckus is expected on Tuesday as well because despite AAP's staunch opposition, Presiding officer Satya Sharma said the nominated members will be made to take oath first. 

These 10 members were nominated by Delhi's Lieutenant General VK Saxena, with whom the AAP government has had an acrimonious situation. It was Saxena who had ordered a CBI probe into the government's now-withdrawn liquor policy.

The agenda of the meeting says all the councillors and members of the Delhi Municipal assembly will take oath as per the DMC Act, 1957 (amended in 2022), but it doesn't list the order in which the oath will be taken.

AAP won 134 seats whereas the BJP won 104. 

Shelly Oberoi and Ashu Thakur are the AAP's contenders for the post of mayor. The BJP has nominated Rekha Gupta.

The nominees for the post of deputy mayor are Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar (AAP) and Kamal Bagri (BJP).

Besides the mayor and the deputy mayor, six members of the MCD's standing committee are also slated to be elected during the municipal House.

As per rules, mayors in Delhi change every year, with the first year reserved for women, third for a candidate of the reserved category.

With inputs from PTI