New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS): Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva strongly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for dilly-dallying over the MCD Standing Committee elections on Friday.
While speaking to IANS, Virendra Sachdeva said, "I don't understand what it means to back off from an election. It shows that you don't trust your own Councillors."
He further commented, "Yesterday, the way AAP and Arvind Kejriwal conspired to stop the election is suspicious. Today, a notification has been issued to conduct the election at 1:00 P.M. I fail to understand why Arvind Kejriwal is avoiding the election."
Sachdeva emphasised the significance of the Standing Committee, saying, "The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee is one of the most important bodies. It handles all financial decisions for the House, including development work such as cleanliness, system management, and park maintenance. All these tasks are carried out only after the committee's approval.
He added, "Knowing the importance of this committee, if you are still stopping the election, it raises questions. You issued the notification, announced the polls, and called your Councillors. You have the numbers, and you're in power, so why are you backing off? It means you don’t trust your own Councillors. A new notification has been released today, and I hope the election takes place. It's not about which party wins, democracy should win."
“We don't understand the reason for the chaos. The poll was announced, and everyone was called to participate, so the election should be conducted. That's why I'm saying, what is there to fear, and why is the AAP avoiding this election?", he said.
On the directions of the Lieutenant Governor (LG), the MCD Commissioner has decided to hold the polls for the 18th member of the MCD Standing Committee on Friday.
During this election, Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav will take over as the Presiding Officer instead of Mayor Shelly Oberoi.
The election for the MCD Standing Committee has been delayed for over one-and-a-half-years due to various reasons.
Initially, this election was scheduled for September 26, but Mayor Oberoi postponed it to October 5.
However, LG VK Saxena ordered the MCD Commissioner to ensure the elections, issuing strict instructions to conduct the poll without further delay.