BJP Wins Delhi MCD Standing Committee Seat, AAP Gets Zero Votes

To everyone’s surprise Sunder Singh, BJP’s candidate clinched through a vote the empty seat in the Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee. The AAP candidate, Nirmala Kumari, who was in the fray received no votes at all.

The voting was more dramatic. Here’s what you need to know:

• Sunder Singh of BJP received 115 votes
• Nirmala Kumari of AAP received zero votes.
• This was for the last empty seat on the MCD Standing Committee
• The Standing Committee is one of the major formulation and implementation committees of the MCD.

This success means that now the BJP has 10 seats in the panel, and the ruling AAP, has only 8. This makes the BJP to have more say in the operations of the MCD.

Why Was There an Election?

The seat remained vacant after BJP councilor Kamaljeet Sehrawat got a better position. She is a recently elected Member of Parliament from West Delhi federal elections.

This election was different because:

• It was the first time that AAP and Congress members had not taken part.
• The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were not present
• Voting was headed by Additional Commissioner Jitendra Yadav.

There was a lot of argument before the voting:

• Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said the election order was against the rules
• She said it should be held on the 5th of October.
• She stated that the Delhi Lieutenant Governor should not decide how the MCD operates
• The Mayor had to interrupt a meeting previously due to the arguments
• She said to the MCD Commissioner that the election notice was not legal.

This result could alter the working of the MCD. Despite AAP operating the MCD, the BJP now has more influence in the Standing Committee. There may be more such debates in the future between the two parties.