New Delhi: The latest flashpoint between Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Lieutenant Governor came to an abrupt halt late on Thursday evening as the election of a single Standing Committee member of the civic body, which VK Saxena was insisting on being held by 10 pm, was called off. After an all-evening drama that included an eleventh-hour press conference by senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, officials from Raj Bhavan said the election cannot not be held on Thursday. The fresh date is Friday at 1 pm.
Pointing to the Lieutenant Governor's message that the election has to be held by 10 pm, Mr Sisodia had told reporters, "How can elections be held without councillors? AAP and Congress councillors have gone home".
Then he added, "Elections on one hour's notice is unconstitutional'.
Election for the seventh member of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's Standing Committee - scheduled for today -- was deferred by Mayor Shelly Oberoi till October 5. Her move came after a row over security check of the councillors -- who were not being allowed even to carry their cellphones inside. The mayor had called it "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional".
But Mr Saxena overturned it with an order that said the MCD Commissioner, Ashwini Kumar, is "directed to submit a report of conduct of elections of the sixth member of standing committee by 10 pm today".
"In case the Mayor is unavailable or refuses to preside over the meeting. the Deputy Mayor may be requested to preside over the meeting for conduct of elections," the order read.
The Standing Committee of the MCD is responsible for taking most of its financial decisions. Currently it has three AAP and two BJP members.
The appointment of a sixth member - pending for months - is expected to break the tie. With 12 members from zones already elected, it would take the tally to eight members for AAP and nine for the BJP in the 18-member Standing committee.
AAP has alleged that today's order was the Lieutenant Governor's tactic to tilt the balance of power towards the BJP.
In a statement, the BJP said it had asked the MCD Commissioner to hold the election as per law and directions of the Supreme Court. The party said it would file a contempt petition against the Mayor and Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow on Friday.
This vacancy was created after BJP councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat resigned following her election to the Lok Sabha from the West Delhi parliamentary seat earlier this year.