MCD standing committee voting begins as Arvind Kejriwal raises objections

Voting for the vacant seat in the MCD Standing Committee began on Friday, September 27, MCD House in Delhi in the presence of Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav as presiding officer in the absence of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. 
AAP is not taking part in the elections, and hence, the councillors of the ruling AAP abstained from the voting process; Congress corporators were also not present in the MCD House.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, termed the voting for the vacant seat in the MCD Standing Committee as “unconstitutional” and announced that AAP councillors would not take part in the poll. Oberoi directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to stall the election process for the sixth member of the Standing Committee and proceed with the same on October 5.
Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena, however, overturned Mayor’s decision and directed the MCD Commissioner to hold the election on Friday at 1 pm.
Terming the LG’s directive as ‘unconstitutional’ Delhi Mayor said, in a letter to Commissioner, “This order is illegal, unconstitutional as it is a gross violation of the statutory scheme of the DMC Act and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Procedure & Conduct Of Business) Regulations, 1958, apart from being contrary to the touchstone of a fair democratic process.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said, “The election to the 6th member of the Standing Committee declared by the Central Govt appointed MCD Commissioner, on the directions of BJP’s @LtGovDelhi is illegal and unconstitutional.
“As per the MCD Act, only the Mayor has the power to convene the House and to be Presiding Officer. If an Addl Commisioner replaces the Mayor in the Corporation today, tmrw BJP might have the Home Secy replace the Speaker in the Lok Sabha!”
Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal Kejriwal said the authority to convene a session lies solely with the Mayor, and neither the Lieutenant Governor (LG) nor the Commissioner can do so.
“I am surprised that the MCD has clearly stated in the law that only the Mayor has the right to call the corporation’s sitting and the Southern’s sitting. No one else has the right. LG Sir cannot call it. The Commissioner cannot call it. Only the Mayor can call it,” PTI quoted Kejriwal as saying.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also crticised the LG’s directive to hold MCD election
“What Massey did in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, the same is being done by the MCD commissioner Ahwini Kumar here. MCD Commissioner is the modern Massey. How can an elected house be called under the leadership of an administrative official? This is why it is said that BJP doesn’t respect the Constitution. They have made a joke of democracy….” ANI quoted Sisodia as saying.