New Delhi: Ahead of Delhi’s mayoral election scheduled to be held on Monday, all 135 councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday wrote to the presiding officer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), seeking debarment of Aldermen from voting in the election for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee members.
The Councillors in the letter have underlined that nominated councillors can not vote as per the Constitution and the DMC Act.
The councillors unequivocally stated that any attempt on the part of the Aldermen to vote in the election would be a direct affront and insult to the mandate of the people of Delhi.
“This is to reiterate that as per Article 243 R of the Constitution of India and as given in the Provision to Section 3 (b) (i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the nominated members (Aldermen) are not entitled to vote in the above mentioned elections,” the councillors mentioned in the letter.
Highlighting the Article and Section from the Constitution in the letter, the Councillors said: “It is therefore the bounden duty of the Protem Speaker of MCD to respect the law of the land, the Constitution of India and ensure that these laws debarring the nominated members from voting are implemented in letter and spirits in the ensuing election to the post of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee of the MCD.”
The letter further read: “So far, as the events leading to this proposed election, the actions of the BJP Councillors clearly show their ill intention to influence and manipulate the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor Standing Committee Members of MCD. This is unacceptable to AAP and by extension to the voters of Delhi which had rejected BJP in the last MCD election.
“We, therefore, request you that circumstances, the nominated members (Aldermen) be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections,” the letter concluded.
–IANS