MCD Polls: SEC Puts off Announcement of Dates Over Unification Plan, Political Slugfest Begins

The much-awaited civic polls in the national capital are likely to be delayed as the Centre has reportedly sought the election commission?s suggestions on conducting elections for a unified corporation.

The Centre has briefed the commission that it is considering a proposal to unify the three municipal corporations in Delhi.

The likely decision of the Union home ministry to unify the corporations just ahead of the announcement of polls has kicked off a political slugfest, with chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal casting aspersions on the state election commission too.

AAP was planning to contest the civic polls for the second time.

THE BLAME GAME

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government feels that a unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is likely to ensure better resolution of civic issues faced by the national capital. The BJP has blamed the AAP government for starving corporations of its revenue resources.

?They starved corporations of funds which were given to the state government, resulting in delays of salaries for the staff that works in the cleaning department, health department and others. We are glad about the decision of unification,? said Adesh Gupta, BJP unit chief.

Kejriwal took to Twitter to attack the election commission.

?Can central govt “direct” any EC to delay/cancel any elections? Under which provision? Are these “directions” binding on EC? Why is EC buckling under pressure? मोदी जी अब इस देश में चुनाव भी नहीं करायेंगे?,? tweeted Kejriwal.

In one of his tweets, he also said that the BJP has run away from elections.

COMMISSION SPEAKS

After calling a presser to give out the dates, the Delhi state election commission put off the announcement. It stated that it had received a communication from the Union home ministry about the corporations and as corporations have time till May 18 to be constituted, it will take time to study the proposal.

The Centre has asked the state commission if it was ready to conduct polls post unification. The polling body feels it will need at least five days to study the proposal and seek legal opinion.

The MCD polls take place in April every five years.

?The commission needs to examine the advice from the Centre. It will take legal opinion. It hasn?t been asked to defer the elections, but the latest developments will take at least a week to examine,? stated a source.

TRIFURCATION VERSUS UNIFICATION

News18.com has reported how the proposal to merge the three MCDs in Delhi has been on the table for almost two months.

The AAP feels the BJP has pulled out this move at the last moment to ensure delay of civic polls as it fears a defeat.

The MCDs were trifurcated in the city about a decade ago, after the Congress-led government felt that decentralisation of power would ensure better public services.

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