Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the name of senior AAP councillor Mukesh Goyal as the presiding officer for the mayoral polls in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
In a tweet, Kejriwal said the file on the presiding officer appointment has been sent for approval to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the name of senior AAP councillor Mukesh Goyal as the presiding officer for the mayoral polls in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
In a tweet, Kejriwal said the file on the presiding officer appointment has been sent for approval to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.
"Mayor election is due on April 26. In accordance with past tradition, I approved the name of Mukesh Goyal, senior-most councillor as presiding officer for the session to elect mayor and deputy mayor. Sent file to LG. Decision is binding on LG unless he decides to refer the matter to the President," he said.
Sources in the LG's office confirmed that the file has been received but said Saxena is yet to take a decision.
The Delhi BJP, however, said it was "regrettable" that the chief minister was trying to "mislead" the public even on the issue of constitutional arrangements like the appointment of the presiding officer for mayoral elections.
In February, a row had erupted with the AAP dispensation opposing Saxena's decision to appoint BJP councillor Satya Sharma as the presiding officer.
The Kejriwal government had sent names of some councilors, including that of Goyal, to the LG for appointment as presiding officer in February but it was rejected.
The elections to the post of mayor were conducted by Sharma amid stiff protests by AAP councillors and leaders in the MCD House.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said there was no objection over a senior councilor's appointment as presiding officer for the mayoral polls, but Kejriwal was trying to "mislead" the people by saying the name suggested by him was binding on the LG.
Section 77 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 2022 clearly states that the MCD administrator – the lieutenant governor – will appoint the presiding officer for the mayoral election, Kapoor claimed.
It is nowhere written in the Act that the LG is bound to accept the suggestion of the chief minister, he added.
There are many legal experts at the disposal of the chief minister and it would have been better if he had understood the constitutional position on the matter before rushing with his tweet, the BJP spokesperson said.
-With PTI Input