Uncertainty over MCD ward committee polls as mayor refuses to appoint presiding officers

New Delhi: Raising uncertainty over MCD ward committee elections a day before the scheduled polling, Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi Tuesday refused to appoint presiding officers, saying her conscience does not allow her to participate in an "undemocratic election process".

Elections for the MCD ward committee members are slated for September 4. But these are likely to be postponed as polling cannot take place without the appointment of presiding officers.

Oberoi has also directed MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar to restart the election process, and give at least one week time for filing the nomination.

In a letter to the MCD commissioner, Oberoi said she received multiple representations from councillors who said they were unable to file nomination as only one day notice was given to the candidates.

"Providing sufficient time for nomination is essential to upholding the fairness of democratic process. Never before in the history of MCD has such little time been given for filing of nomination," she wrote in the letter released late night on Tuesday.

"It took the municipal secretary five days to notify the election after my directions, so how can only one day be given for filing nominations," she said.

According to the DMC Act, the Municipal Secretary notifies the appointment of the presiding officers after the mayor sends the file carrying their names.

The mayor is the sole authority to make the appointments for the post. The file is required to be sent to the Municipal Secretary for the purpose of notifying the appointment.

Ideally, the appointment of the presiding officer should be done at least one day prior to the elections. However, since the mayor has not made the appointment, there is now an air of uncertainty over when the polls will be held.

The long-pending polls for the ward committees and standing committee has affected several civic services and financial matters in the corporation.

The Opposition in the MCD has called this a deliberate attempt to defer the polls.

In a social media post, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor accused the mayor of "killing democracy".

"Respected Mayor Shelly Oberoi ji, please stop killing democracy. Instead of trying to postpone the MCD Delhi ward committees elections, please appoint the presiding officers immediately," he wrote.