Polls to elect members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) Standing Committee juddered to a halt on Thursday after the House was adjourned until Friday because of clashes between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Violence between the two rival parties erupted during the elections for six members of the Standing Committee, considered to be the most powerful body in the unified civic body of Delhi.
The chaos in the House started on Wednesday evening after the mayor was elected and continued until the early hours of Thursday.
Both parties have levelled accusations against each other during the local body polls.
After the voting started, the BJP blamed AAP members of carrying cellphones during the polls and therefore demanded that the poll process be stopped and for voting to restart.
While talking to the media, Delhi BJP general-secretary Harsh Malhotra described the chaos as a “well-planned conspiracy” by the AAP. He said: “The MCD House proceedings went on peacefully until the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. But the AAP had other plans for the election of six members of the Standing Committee.
“What happened was triggered by the Mayor allowing the use of mobile phones during the election for the Standing Committee,” he stated, adding that the BJP members were attacked when they objected to the use of phones during polling.
The BJP alleged that AAP councilors carrying cellphones were taking photographs of their ballots in violation of the secret ballot system.
However, Delhi Mayor Oberoi rejected the allegations, saying that they were all “respected councilors and can keep their mobile phones with them”.
She instead alleged that some of the BJP members “attacked” her.
Talking of the adjournment of the House, newly elected Mayor Oberoi said: “The House was adjourned repeatedly because of ruckus and vandalism caused by BJP politicians. The ballot box was thrown, the ballot booklet was torn, things were thrown.
“We kept the House running because our aim was to follow the Supreme Court’s order. But that could not be done. The whole night, we made efforts to ensure that elections took place, the House was adjourned 13 times to be reconvened… It has now been adjourned until Friday morning at 10 am… Ultimately it is the people of Delhi who are being punished,” she added.
According to media reports, members of the AAP and BJP shouted slogans, jostled and punched each other. Ballot boxes were also thrown into the Well and the proceedings of the House were adjourned 13 times from Wednesday until Thursday morning.