MCD House podium broken, ballot booklet torn; ruckus leads to adjournment till Friday 10 am

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned for the day on Thursday as ruckus and sloganeering continued over the election of six standing committee members.

Several members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had on Wednesday night exchanged blows and hurled plastic bottles at each other in the chamber of the MCD House. Shelly Oberoi was elected Delhi mayor earlier on Wednesday.

Delhi BJP mayor candidate Rekha Gupta broke the podium of the House while BJP Councillor Amit Nagpal tore the ballot paper booklet, said newly elected Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi. The ruckus led to an adjournment of the House till Friday 10 am.

Action will be taken against the two by the MCD when the House resumes on Friday, officials said.

What led to the deadlock?
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi allowed the use of mobile phones in the Standing Committee voting. The BJP protested against the use of mobiles, saying it would violate the secrecy of the ballot. Voting continued amid ruckus in the House. However, voting came to a standstill after the 47th vote.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi addressed the MCD House on Thursday and said, “Voting is your right, I have not denied voting right to anyone.”

Newly elected Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi claimed that BJP Councillor Shikha Rai even tried to “attack” her. In a video shot by an AAP woman councillor, AAP and BJP councillors were seen hurling water bottles and apples at each other inside the MCD House.

AAP’s Shelly Oberoi wins MCD Mayor election
The fourth attempt to choose Delhi’s new mayor turned out successful as voting concluded on Wednesday.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s Shelly Oberoi won the Delhi Mayor elections and became the city’s first woman mayor in 10 years. Shelly Oberoi won the Delhi Mayor election with 150 votes. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia congratulated AAP’s Shelly Oberoi on winning the mayor elections and said, “The goons lost, the public won.”

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Shelly Oberoi on winning the Delhi mayor elections and said, “The goons lost, the public won.” He added that “hooliganism” was defeated by the people of Delhi.