MCD polls: Delhi Municipal Corporation elections may be postponed by six months

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leaders in Delhi, including BJP MCD councilors want the MCD polls to be postponed by at least six months, claim sources and news reports.

If the BJP has its way in Delhi, the polls are not likely to be held in the NCR region before Sept-Oct this year.

The Indian Express quoting senior leaders in the BJP said: The BJP leadership in Delhi wants the civic body polls to be delayed by around six months so that the results of the proposed unification can be observed on ground. The BJP Central leadership plans to unify all the Delhi Municipal Corporations, citing misuse of funds and unequal distribution of central grants.

The Centre plans to introduce a bill to unify the Delhi Corporations in the upcoming budget session of Parliament, and it should take 2-3 three weeks for the entire process to take effect.

“If things go as per plan, then the unification process along with other reforms would take around a month. After that, it would take a few months for its result to be visible on ground,” the Indian Express quoted a BJP leader as saying.

The Delhi State Election Commission had last week postponed the announcement of dates for the MCD polls at the last minute, just an hour before the pre-scheduled press conference, following a letter from the Lt Governor, regarding the unification of the civic bodies.

Senior BJP leaders said, among the reforms that are being considered by the party dispensation is direct elections of mayors, their tenure being increased to at least two and half years instead of the present one year, as well as provisions for direct funds from the Centre, the Indian Express report stated.