Delhi mayoral polls postponsed as no presiding officer nominated yet
Apr 25, 2024
New Delhi [India], April 25 : The scheduled election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Delhi has been postponed as the nomination of the Presiding Officer, which is mandatory, has not taken place, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Secretary informed in an official notice.
As per the earlier schedule, the election was scheduled to be held on April 26 at 11 am. But it was circulated with the condition that "the meeting/election is subject to clearance/permission from Election Commission of India and nomination of Presiding Officer."
The nomination of Presiding Officer has not taken place and in view of the situation the scheduled election has been postponed.
"Since nomination of the Presiding Officer is mandatory as per Section 77(a) of the DMC Act, 1957 (as amended 2022). Therefore, it may not be possible to conduct elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor as per schedule," the notice read.
"Accordingly, under the Ordinary Official Business in the agenda as item No. 3 and 4 regarding election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively are hereby postponed in view of the abovesaid letter dated April 25 of the Special Secretary-II (UD), GNCTD," it added.
Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party had fielded Mahesh Khichi for the post of mayor and Ravinder Bhardwaj for deputy mayor while the BJP has fielded Kishan Lal. The Congress party has announced that they will support the AAP candidate.
Last year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Muhammad Iqbal were re-elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Delhi respectively after BJP candidates withdrew their nominations.
The post of mayor in the national capital sees five single-year terms on a rotational basis with the first year reserved for women, the second for the open category, the third for the reserved category and the remaining two again for the open category. Delhi gets a new mayor after the end of a financial year.
