All eyes on the Supreme Court as it is set to hear the petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi seeking early holding of the mayoral election for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday. After three failed attempts to elect the Mayor, both the parties look forward for a solace from the SC.
Earlier, while hearing the plea on mayoral polls, SC bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y Chandrachud observed that the "nominated members cannot go for election."
The Delhi mayor polls, that was scheduled for February 16, had to be postponed due to the scheduled apex court hearing.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the office of Delhi lieutenant governor said the February 16 poll would be postponed to a date after February 17.
"Nominated members cannot go for election. The constitutional provision is very clear," the bench observed.
Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena had given the approval to convene the next session of the MCD on February 16 for election to the post of mayor.
Amid ruckus during civic polls, three meetings were adjourned over the decision to give voting rights to nominated members.
Both BJP and AAP have been engaged in a blame game since the ruckus over preventing mayoral polls.
AAP with a majority of 134 out of 250 elected members alleged that the BJP is trying to steal its mandate by giving voting rights to the nominated members.
Senior advocate A. M Singhvi, appearing for the AAP leader, had pointed out that the MCD House was convened three times but the election of the mayor did not take place.
He also said that the voting rights of nominated members of the House needs to be adjudicated.
However, Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva had said that they suspect that the AAP does not want voting in the MCD House for mayor to be proved correct.
"They had gone to the Court for a stay (on voting) in which they have succeded. We have always want Delhi to get its mayor at the earliest," he said.
AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that giving voting rights to the nominated members is a "shameful act".
With the aldermen (nominated members) getting to vote, BJP's strength could go up to 123 from 113.