BJP leaders demand fresh voting to elect MCD standing committee members

The Delhi BJP on Thursday demanded a fresh poll to elect MCD standing committee members, alleging irregularities by the Aam Aadmi Party during the election process last night.

Party MP Parvesh Verma told a press conference, also addressed by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, that newly-elected Mayor Shelly Oberoi of the AAP allowed members to carry mobile phones to the booth area while casting their votes, despite objection by BJP councillors.

The election began on Wednesday evening but was hampered due to the BJP councillors' protest against the decision of the mayor, who was presiding over the poll process.

Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra said the AAP has fielded four candidates and the BJP three for the committee which can have six members.

The AAP is afraid that one of its candidates will face defeat due to lack required number of votes which is why their councilors "started a ruckus" inside the House, Malhotra charged.

Verma claimed that the municipal secretary in his report to the authorities has also recommended fresh voting to elect standing committee members.

Verma claimed the use of mobile phones was allowed by the mayor to keep a check on cross-voting by AAP councillors. Earlier, during the mayor's election, AAP councilor Mukesh Goel had demanded that mobile phone and pen should not be allowed which was accepted by presiding officer Satya Sahrma, he said.

AAP councillors who cast their votes were clicking pictures and sending it to their party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, Verma claimed.

A purported video of the MCD House meeting was played at the press conference, with BJP leaders claiming AAP councilor Devendra Kumar was seen "slapping" BJP councilor Pramod Gupta.

After multiple adjournments overnight, the MCD House was finally adjourned for the day on Thursday morning without electing standing committee members.

North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari claimed the AAP leadership was fearful of cross-voting by its councillors and therefore, its mayor allowed mobile phones while casting votes.

Tiwari also accused the AAP councillors of resorting to "hooliganism".

"Creating a ruckus during standing committee members election was a well-planned conspiracy by the Aam Aadmi Party. The process was not fair as ballot secrecy was violated by AAP councilors carrying mobile phones while going to cast their votes," Tiwari said.

He said the BJP will keep protesting against the mayor's decision to allow councillors voting in standing committee election to carry mobile phones.

Tiwari blamed Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for the "hooliganism" by AAP councillors, saying they were instigated by his tweet about "goons" getting defeated following the BJP's loss in the mayoral polls on Wednesday.

The unruly scenes created by the AAP councilors in the MCD House on Wednesday were unimaginable and never seen before, Tiwari claimed.

Meanwhile, Verma claimed that a total of 55 ballots were distributed for the election out of which 45 were used for casting votes while the remaining were unaccounted for.

He also claimed that the ballot box was sealed after instruction of the mayor without presence of any BJP councillor.

Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra said the AAP has fielded four and the BJP three candidates in the elections for six members.

The AAP is afraid that one of its four candidates will face defeat due to lack required number of votes which is why their councilors "started a ruckus" inside the House, Malhotra charged.