Leader of Opposition in MCD demands appointment of Dalit mayor seeks LG's intervention

New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) The Leader of Opposition in MCD, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena seeking his intervention for appointment of a Dalit mayor in accordance with the DMC Act.
     The BJP leader has also requested the LG's intervention for directing the authorities concerned to issue an order to constitute the Sixth Delhi Finance Committee highlighting a "huge backlog of funds" faced by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
     In a letter to the LG, Singh raised concern over the delayed mayoral polls which were scheduled to take place in the first MCD House meeting in April.
     He alleged that the MCD has been working "unconstitutionally" for the past 18 months and the current mayor, Shelly Oberoi, has been occupying the chair in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.
     There was no immediate response on this from the Delhi mayor.
     "We would like to draw your attention towards the unconstitutional working of the MCD for last almost 18 months...the affairs of the corporation are governed by the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. In accordance with the section 35 of the said, the election of the Mayor has to held annually. Further, the provision mandates and reserves the office of Mayor for the first year to a women member and for the third year to a member belonging to SC community," the letter said.
     "In the light of the above it was mandatory for the MCD House to elect a Scheduled Caste community Mayor in the first meeting of the year 2024-25 in April but almost 4 months later as we are in last week of July 2024 the MCD has not elected a SC community Mayor which is a grave violation of the DMC Act," the letter, also signed by Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, read.
     The present MCD House was constituted in February 2023 and AAP's candidate Shelly Oberoi was elected as the mayor of the city as per the DMC Act, which prescribes a woman candidate to be the Mayor of MCD in the first year.
     "Thereafter the House had to elect a general category male Mayor in April 2024 but due to extremely dubious political conditions prevailing in the MCD it was not done and Shelly Oberoi continued in the second year too," the letter said.
     "...most unconstitutionally a general community female Mayor Shelly Oberoi continues to work as the Mayor," it added.    
     Raising concern over the issue, Singh said, "Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party is denying a rightful opportunity to a Dalit Councillor. We are told that CM Arvind Kejriwal is adamant to continue as CM but being in jail he cannot do any administrative work thus the file for appointment of Presiding Officer for Mayor election continues to remain pending."
     "Similarly, it is constitutionally mandatory to constitute a Finance Commission for the MCD every fifth year under clause (1) of Article 243-1 but the Delhi Government headed by CM Arvind Kejriwal has not done this too," he said.
     "As a result of the non constitution of the 6th Delhi Finance Commission the MCD continues to receive funds as decided by 5th DFC in 2016-17 thus depriving MCD of proper funds," he added.
     Singh urged the LG to intervene in the matter and ensure the election of a mayor from the SC community at the earliest and an order be issued from the competent authority for constituting the Sixth Delhi Finance Commission immediately.
     The mayoral polls were postponed by the MCD in April citing non-appointment of a presiding officer by the LG required to hold the elections. The LG did not accord approval for appointing the presiding officer citing the absence of Delhi CM Kejriwal, who is lodged in Tihar in connection with a excise linked money laundering case.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)