MCD standing committee members poll: Over 85% councillors cast votes

Over 85 per cent of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's 250 elected councillors cast their votes on Friday as a fresh poll is being conducted to elect six members of the civic body's standing committee.

Polling began around 11.15 am and nearly 220 councillors had cast their votes by 2 pm.

A fresh poll is being conducted to elect six members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) highest decision-making body on the order of Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi.

The BJP had demanded a fresh poll to elect the panel's six members.

A few BJP councillors raised "Jai Shri Ram" and pro-Modi slogans while AAP members countered them with chants of "Aam Aadami Party zindabad" and "Arvind Kejriwal zindabad".

AAP rebel Pawan Sehrawat cast his vote even as he was jeered by his former party colleagues, many of whom termed him a "traitor".

AAP's House leader Mukesh Goel, Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammed Iqbal, BJP councillor Rekha Gupta, who lost to Oberoi in the mayoral poll, former South Delhi mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat, AAP member Bobi -- the first councillor from the transgender community -- have exercised their franchise. Independent candidate Shakila Begum from Seelampur ward also cast her vote.

Kamaljeet Sehrawat is one of seven candidates in the fray.

Oberoi occasionally had to remind the councillors that carrying mobile phones to the booth area was not allowed.

One councillor drew the mirth of other members and reporters as he stood next to the ballot box after casting his vote and posed for pictures.

The MCD House reconvened around 11 am to make another bid to elect members of the municipal corporation's standing committee, a day after it was adjourned following pandemonium triggered by clashes between AAP and BJP councillors.

The proceedings to hold polls for electing members of the committee began around 6.15 pm on Wednesday, hours after Oberoi was elected as Delhi's new mayor.

The sitting, punctuated by over a dozen adjournments, vociferous protests by BJP members, high-voltage drama and high-decibel sloganeering, spilled over to the next day until the mayor adjourned it.

After the House resumed business, Oberoi appealed to all members to maintain decorum.

"The Supreme Court had ordered to carry out elections to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee. But a ruckus was created and the standing committee members' elections could not be held. We are all respected members and we should uphold the dignity," she said.

Oberoi announced in the House that a fresh election would be held to pick members of the standing committee.

On February 17, the top court ordered issuing a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the MCD to fix the date of elections for the mayor, deputy mayor and members of the standing committee.

Seven candidates are in the fray for the standing committee's six members.

The AAP has nominated Aamil Malik (Sri Ram Colony ward), Raminder Kaur (Fateh Nagar ward), Mohini Jeenwal (Sundar Nagari ward) and Sarika Chaudhary (Daryaganj ward).

Kamaljeet Sehrawat (Dwarka-B ward) and Pankaj Luthra (Jhilmil ward) are contesting for the BJP.

Independent councillor Gajender Singh Daral, who later joined the BJP, is also a candidate.