The national capital, Delhi, will have a new mayor seven months late. The election of the new mayor was to take place in the same month of April, but a rule relating to the appointment of the president was introduced. The president was to be appointed by the lieutenant governor on the recommendation of the Delhi government. The then CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, was in jail at the time and the LG had refused to appoint the president as he had not signed the recommendation sent by the Delhi government.
The LG had asked Mayor Shaili Oberoi to take charge of the work until further orders. After the change of Chief Minister in Delhi, the new government again started the mayoral election process. The date of November 14 was fixed for the elections, but this time the LG did not need the recommendation of the Delhi Government or the CM’s signature on that recommendation for the appointment of the president.
LG appointed president
This is the first time in the history of the Delhi Municipal Corporation that the chairman is directly appointed by the LG. LG has appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilor Satya Sharma as the chairman of the Delhi mayoral elections. With the appointment of the LG chairman for the mayoral election, it has become clear that the Delhi government will not have any role in it and the LG office will also adopt the same process in future.
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Supreme Court connection of LG decision
In fact, the LG’s decision to appoint the President directly from his own level without the recommendation of the Delhi Government has connection with a Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court had given its verdict on August 5, 2024 in the matter of nomination of MCD Councillor. In its decision, the Supreme Court justified the appointment of the councilor made by the LG.
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In the same decision, the Supreme Court had also said that when the Companies Act grants powers to the director, he can take decisions at his discretion. LG is the administrator of MCD and by giving him the freedom to take decisions at his own discretion, the Supreme Court has in a way ended his dependence on the recommendations of the Delhi Government.
