Until L-G clarifies that nominated councillors will not vote, party will continue protest: AAP

New Delhi, Jan 9 Accusing Delhi Lt. Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena of "flouting all rules" in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said until the L-G makes it clear that the nominated councillors will not vote in the mayor's election, the party will continue their protest.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said: "The BJP has been trying to take over the MCD through illegal means. The residents of Delhi have given the mandate to the AAP.... The majority is clearly with AAP and the people have also categorically stated that the Mayor should be from AAP. But the Lt. Governor of Delhi illegally got the pro-tem Presiding Officer to be from the BJP, he also illegally got the aldermen to be workers of the BJP. He now also illegally wants the aldermen to vote in the election for the post of the Mayor."

Addressing the media, he further said: "We have been asking the L-G over the past week to come out and give a clear statement stating that the nominated councillors will not be allowed to vote for the election of the Mayor. This is what is written in the Constitution and the DMC Act and the L-G is bound by duty to obey the rules, but the L-G and the BJP have been trying otherwise."

The AAP also staged a protest on the issue of 'Aldermen vote' at the BJP headquarters earlier in the day, calling it 'BJP's conspiracy to get Aldermen to unconstitutionally vote in subversion of all traditions of the MCD'.

The protest was led by Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand and other AAP leaders.

The party claimed that the L-G has deliberately remained mum on this issue to give the BJP an opportunity to illegally try and appoint a Mayor of their choice.

"The L-G office, otherwise, follows all the tweets and issues regular directives to stop the works of the Delhi government, but on this issue he has deliberately chosen to remain mum," Bharadwaj said.

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