Supreme Court to hear AAP's plea challenging delay in MCD polls today

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) challenging the postponement of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) polls on the ground of delimitation of wards in the national capital today. A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the plea of the counsel for the AAP that the unification of three MCDs and the consequential delimitation exercise cannot be a valid ground to defer the civic polls.

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"Delimitation is not a ground to delay the municipal elections. Please post this writ petition with the pending contempt plea tomorrow before a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar," lawyer Shadan Farasat, appearing for the AAP, told the bench. A bench headed by Justice Khanwilkar is hearing a contempt plea for not holding up municipal polls, the lawyer said, while seeking the tagging of AAP's plea with the one pending for hearing today.

"Post along with the contempt (plea)," the CJI said. The announcement of the election schedule for the three Delhi civic bodies was deferred in March this year and later, the Centre brought a Bill for the unification of MCDs. The process relating to the delimitation of municipal wards is underway in Delhi.

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