MCD set to elect Standing Committee members, ward committee chiefs

New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) The long-pending Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee elections will be held on Wednesday, with the outcome expected to restore the functioning of the civic body's highest decision-making panel and speed up approvals for several pending projects. Voting will also be held for the posts of chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of the MCD's 12 ward committees in what has emerged as a prestige battle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The results are expected to be declared later in the day. The Standing Committee, an 18-member body that approves financial decisions above Rs 5 crore, contracts, policy matters and civic projects, has been functioning with only 12 members since March after elections to six vacant seats remained pending. The elections were originally scheduled for June 3 but were postponed and later rescheduled for July 15. The contest comes days after the BJP strengthened its position in the 250-member House with the merger of all 16 councillors of the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), a breakaway faction of the AAP. The BJP now has 139 councillors, while the AAP's strength has fallen to 102. While the BJP is considered to have the upper hand in the Standing Committee elections following the shift in numbers, several ward committee contests are expected to be closely fought. For the six Standing Committee seats, BJP's Pawan Kumar is pitted against AAP's Ritu Mukesh Kumar in Narela, while in West Zone, BJP's Shashi Yadav will face AAP's Sudesh Kumar. In Shahdara South, BJP's Munesh is contesting against AAP's Beena. In the remaining three seats, the AAP has fielded Rajan Arora from Karol Bagh, while the BJP has nominated Sushil from Keshav Puram and Hem Chand Goel from Central. Out of the 12 ward committees, the BJP enjoys a clear majority in eight while the AAP holds an advantage in four. However, in a few committees, particularly City SP, Rohini, Central and South zones, the outcome could hinge on the votes of Congress councillors. The Congress has only nine councillors in the MCD but their votes are seen as potentially decisive in these committees where the margins are expected to be narrow. However, ward councillors from the Congress said the party, as an organisation, would stay away from the contest. "We do not have the numbers across the zones. We have no intention of supporting either side. If any councillor votes, it will be an individual decision," Zakir Nagar councillor Naziya Danish told PTI. She said the Congress was opposed to the functioning and ideology of both the BJP and the AAP and therefore would not collectively back either party in the elections. PTI MSJ SKY SKY