BJP councillor alleges Delhi Mayor flouted rules, moves HC

New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) BJP councillor Sharad Kapoor on Friday moved the Delhi High Court, alleging that Mayor Shelly Oberoi did not stick to to the rules of not using mobile phones and pens during voting to elect the MCD Standing Committee members on Wednesday.

Kapoor, in his petition, has said that the Mayor "defied every constitutional and statutory norm" and "betrayed the mandate of the Constitution by allowing mobile phones and pens in the election proceedings".

The petitioner has also sought to declare the February 22 polls as null and void.

A single-judge bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav listed the matter for hearing on February 27.

Kapoor said that he, along with others, had staged a protest against the Mayor's act.

Several confidential ballot papers used for the election of the Standing Committee members are taking rounds on social media.

The petition reads: "In a bizarre turn of events, the newly-appointed Mayor, in a brazen defiance of constitutionally-established norms and propriety, allowed the councilors to bring their mobile phones and pens during the voting process with the malafide intent of manipulating and vitiating the election process."

"In spite of the objection of the elected members of the BJP, which led to adjournments on several occasions and stalled the polling process for hours, the election process for six members of the Standing Committee was allowed to be continued by the mayor, while permitting the members to carry mobile phones and pens inside the polling booth, wherein several members belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party took pictures/snapshots of their votes (ballot paper), before casting their respective votes, in a gross violation of the complete electoral process, thwarting the principle of secrecy of ballot," the plea read.