The Delhi Municipal Corporation has formally approached the Election Commission to seek permission to conduct the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections scheduled for April 26, amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and the Model Code of Conduct being in effect.
Given the prevailing Model Code of Conduct due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is required to obtain the Election Commission’s approval to proceed with the mayoral elections.
Dr Shelly Oberoi, the Mayor of MCD, confirmed the development and stated, “We have scheduled the elections for the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor on April 26. While the Election Commission typically does not interfere in these municipal elections, the current Lok Sabha elections and the enforced Model Code of Conduct necessitate their permission. Once we receive the green light from the Election Commission, the elections will proceed as planned.”
Earlier, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had announced April 26 as the date for the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections.
According to an official notice issued by the Municipal Secretary of MCD, “The Ordinary April (2024) Meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2024, at 11:00 am at Aruna Asaf Ali Sabhagar A-Block, 4th Floor, Dr SP Mukherjee Civic Centre, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, New Delhi. The election for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will also be conducted during the same meeting.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Mahesh Khichi for the position of Mayor and Ravinder Bhardwaj for Deputy Mayor, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Kishan Lal.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has declared its support for the AAP candidates in the upcoming elections.
In the previous year’s elections, AAP candidates Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Muhammad Iqbal were re-elected as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Delhi, respectively, after BJP candidates withdrew their nominations.