The BJP won the last vacant seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s 18-member Standing Committee unopposed on Friday as the councillors of the ruling AAP and Congress boycotted the election. The election for the 18-member Standing Committee took place in the absence of Delhi Mayor Dr. Shelly Oberoi, following an order from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena.
The BJP now has 10 members in the panel while the ruling AAP has only eight. This means the BJP will have more say in approving proposals in the panel. Despite objections from AAP, the election for the lone vacant seat on the Standing Committee proceeded at the MCD House in Delhi. Additional Commissioner Jitendra Yadav acted as the Presiding Officer in the absence of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
In the voting, BJP candidate Sunder Singh received 115 votes, while AAP candidate Nirmala Kumari received none. The qualifying quota was 58 votes, making Sunder Singh the newly elected 18th member of the Standing Committee. The vacancy arose following the resignation of Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who was elected as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha).
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi had previously directed the MCD Commissioner to hold the election for the sixth member of the Standing Committee on October 5. She expressed concerns over the MCD Commissioner’s recent order scheduling the election for September 27, calling it illegal and unconstitutional. The Mayor emphasised that the Lieutenant Governor should not have the power to interfere in the House’s functioning and claimed she was forced to adjourn the House until October 5. She questioned the BJP’s motives in pushing for the election earlier than scheduled, deeming the move inappropriate.
The Standing Committee is a key statutory body responsible for making major decisions regarding financial matters, policy implementation, and other critical issues. As one of the most influential entities within the MCD, the 18-member committee controls the corporation’s financial resources.