BJP has instructed its councillors to stall MCD mayor polls: Sisodia

Ahead of the MCD House session on Monday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged the BJP has instructed its councillors to create a ruckus like the last time to stall the mayoral elections.

Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva retorted, saying it is the AAP which has asked its councillors to do so and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be responsible if the House is adjourned.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House is set to convene later in the day to elect a mayor for the city after failing to complete the poll in two previous attempts.

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The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the presiding officer without electing a mayor following a ruckus and acrimonious exchanges between the members of the BJP and the AAP.

"The BJP has instructed its councillors to stall the mayoral election again today. They have been told to create a ruckus on some pretext as soon as the House convenes. The presiding officer will again adjourn the House indefinitely like the last time. The LG will again set a date for 20 days later," Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

Hitting back, BJP's Sachdeva said Kejriwal will be responsible if the House is adjourned on Monday.

"The AAP does not trust its majority and has instructed its councillors to adjourn the House by creating a ruckus over any issue. If the House gets adjourned today, Arvind Kejriwal will be responsible for it," the BJP leader said.

According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to be elected in the very first session of the House after the civic polls. However, it's been two months since the municipal elections were held on December 4 and Delhi is yet to get a mayor.

Separately, the Delhi BJP paraded its councillors, alleging that the AAP was trying to poach them.

BJP councillors from nearly 10 wards claimed at a press conference that they were approached by AAP leaders and workers recently for cross-voting in the mayoral elections.

"This shows the real face and character of the Aam Aadmi Party," Sachdeva said.

There was no immediate response from the AAP on the BJP's allegations.