MCD standing committee election: Delhi BJP alleges irregularities, demands fresh voting

BJP councillors protest asking to refrain from using mobile phones during the voting to elect six members of the Standing Committee in the house, at Civic Centre in New Delhi. Pic/PTI

The Delhi BJP on Thursday demanded fresh voting for elections of the MCD standing committee members alleging irregularities by the AAP.

In a joint press conference, party MP Parvesh Verma claimed that despite objection of BJP councillors, newly-elected Mayor Shelly Oberoi of the AAP allowed members to carry mobile phones to the booth area during the voting.

He claimed that the municipal secretary too has recommended fresh voting for the election of the standing committee members in his report to the authorities.

Verma claimed the use of mobile phones was allowed by the mayor to keep a check on cross-voting by AAP councillors.

AAP councillors who cast their votes were clicking pictures and sending it to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, Verma claimed.

The election began on Wednesday evening but was hampered due to the BJP councillors' protest against the decision of the mayor, who was presiding over the poll process, to allow councillors to carry mobile phones while casting votes.

Hours after multiple adjournments overnight, the MCD House was finally adjourned for the day on Thursday morning without election of members of the standing committee.

Also Read: MCD House adjourned: Unable to digest defeat in mayoral polls, BJP resorting to hooliganism, says AAP

North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari claimed the AAP leadership was fearful of cross-voting by its councillors and therefore, its mayor allowed mobile phones while casting votes.

Tiwari also accused the AAP councillors of resorting to "hooliganism". He claimed that BJP councillor Pramod Gupta was slapped by AAP councillors.

He said the BJP will keep protesting against the mayor's decision to allow councillors voting in standing committee election to carry mobile phones.

Tiwari blamed Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for the "hooliganis" by AAP councillors, saying they were instigated by his tweet about "goons" getting defeated following BJP's loss in the mayoral polls on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Verna claimed that a total of 55 ballots were distributed for the election out of which 45 were used for casting votes while the remaining were unaccounted for.

He also claimed that the ballot box was sealed after instruction of the mayor without presence of any BJP councillor.

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