AAP MP gives Zero Hour notice in RS over postponement of MCD polls
Mar 24, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 24 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday gave a notice for Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha over the postponement of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections.
"The State Election Commission has indefinitely postponed the Delhi MCD elections due to the interference of the Central government. The stated reason is that the Central government is to bring up a bill seeking reunification of the three municipal corporations of Delhi and to elect a single mayor. There's an attempt to reduce the number of wards," the AAP MP said in his notice to the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha.
The AAP MP also said that it was very undemocratic of the Central government to give such information to the State Election Commission on the day when the dates for the MCD elections were to be announced.
"This decision of the State Election Commission under the pressure of the Central Government is against India's tradition for conducting free, fair and speedy elections. The MCD polls are deliberately postponed. This also shows the connivance of the Election Commission and the Central government which is unconstitutional," he added.
The Bill to merge the three civic bodies is likely to come before Parliament in the ongoing Budget session.
Erstwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated into three municipal corporations, including South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), in 2011, as per Delhi Municipal Corporation Amendment Act, 1911 (Delhi Act, 12 Of 2011).
Earlier, State Election Commissioner SK Srivastava informed that the Centre has deferred the announcement of polling dates for the MCD election after the central government raised a few issues that are yet to be legally examined by the Election Commission.
