Delhi Civic Body Polls: AAP Moves SC, Seeks Direction to Hold MCD Polls Without Centre’s Interference

The plea in the Supreme Court was filed by the AAP after the Delhi State Election Commission indefinitely deferred the MCD elections citing a communication from the Lieutenant Governor.

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday approached Supreme Court seeking directions to the State Election Commission to conduct Municipal Elections in Delhi in a free, fair and expeditious manner, without any interference from the Central government.

The plea in the Supreme Court was filed by the AAP after the Delhi State Election Commission indefinitely deferred the MCD elections citing a communication from the Lieutenant Governor conveying that the Centre was intending to pass legislation to merge the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) moves Supreme Court seeking directions to the State Election Commission to conduct Municipal Elections in Delhi in a free, fair and expeditious manner, without any interference from the Central government. pic.twitter.com/ooe9uBSG58

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2022

Last week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow MCD elections to take place in the national capital, saying postponing polls weakens the democratic system.

His remarks came after the Delhi State Election Commission sought the advice of legal experts if it can still hold polls for the three municipal corporations following a communication from the Centre for their unification.

The Commission, after receiving the communication, had deferred the announcement of poll dates for the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

“People are questioning the move. It has been seven-eight years since the BJP is at the Centre, why didn’t they do it (unification) earlier,” Kejriwal asked.

“Why did they remember it only an hour before the scheduled press conference (on Wednesday) that they have to unify the three civic bodies? The BJP knew that there is an AAP wave in Delhi and they would lose elections,” the chief minister said at a briefing.

Questioning the relationship between polls and unification of the three civic bodies, Kejriwal said, “What does election have to do with unification of the three civic bodies? The new councillors chosen after polls will sit in their respective offices if there are three civic bodies. If the three bodies are merged, they will sit together.”

Kejriwal had also urged the prime minister to ensure that the elections take place.

“With folded hands, I urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let the elections happen. Governments come and go. The country is important and not political parties. If we pressure the Election Commission, it weakens institutions. We should not let the institutions weaken since it weakens democracy and the country,” he said.

All three corporations in the city are currently ruled by the BJP, which has been controlling the civic bodies since the trifurcation of the erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in 2012.