Page 8 - Aap

AAP announces candidate Shelly Oberoi's victory in Delhi mayor election

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday claimed that AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi has won the MCD mayoral polls. The voting was held at the Civic Centre. "The goons lost, the public won. Many congratulations to all the workers as AAP candidate has become the mayor in Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Once again whole hearted gratitude to the people of Delhi. Many many congratulations to the first Mayor @OberoiShelly of AAP," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Fourth attempt to elect Delhi's new mayor today: Here is the story so far

Delhi has been on tenterhooks for the last two months as the BJP, and the AAP have been fighting to get their respective candidates to sit on the top post in the civic body

After much delay, stage set to elect new MCD mayor following SC order

After much delay since the high-stakes civic polls in Delhi, the stage is set for the election of a new mayor on Wednesday following a Supreme Court order. The municipal House is slated to begin at 11 am during which the election to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee will be held. The exercise to hold elections to the top post will be carried out after three failed attempts. Last week, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena gave his nod to convene the municipal House for holding the mayoral election following the apex court order. The top court on February 17 ordered the issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of elections for the mayor, the deputy mayor and the members of the standing committee of the civic body. The court issued the order after hearing a plea moved by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi, who had sought an early cond

Ahead of MCD meeting, BJP claims anything can happen in mayor election

A day before the MCD meeting to elect the city mayor, Delhi BJP leaders on Tuesday asserted that "anything can happen", hinting that the party was hopeful of springing a surprise despite AAP's majority and the Supreme Court ruling against voting by aldermen. The arithmetic favours the Aam Aadmi Party, which has 150 votes against the BJP's 113, out of a total of 274 votes in the mayoral polls. The BJP wants that Delhi gets its mayor at the earliest but AAP on one pretext or another is stalling it, charged Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva. "We will ensure that the city gets its mayor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) meeting tomorrow. But, anything can happen there," Sachdeva said when asked about the prospects of the BJP candidate Rekha Gupta. In the civic body polls in December last year, the AAP ended BJP's 15-year rule over MCD winning 134 of the 250 wards. The BJP could manage to win 104 wards while Congress got nine and independents won three. Delhi BJP

CBI to question Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in excise policy case on Feb 26

The CBI has issued a fresh notice to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to appear for questioning in the excise policy scam case on February 26, officials said Monday. The notice was issued on his request as he had sought deferment of his previously scheduled questioning on February 19, they said. Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio in the Delhi government, had cited the ongoing budget exercise to defer his questioning and had also sought a date during the last week of February, they said. Addressing a press conference, Sisodia, a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, said that he has been called for questioning on February 26 and will appear before the probe agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its first chargesheet against seven people on November 25 last year in which Sisodia was not named as an accused. The officials said in its further probe into the money trail and links between liquor traders, AAP leaders, middlemen and politicians, the CB

Delhi riots: SC refuses to interfere in AAP leader Tahir Hussain's case

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the framing of charges against former AAP leader Tahir Hussain under anti-money laundering law in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. A bench headed by Justice V Ramasubramanian said at the stage of framing of charges, a court cannot get into details, which is to be seen at a later stage. The case is at the stage of framing of charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Therefore we do not see reasons to interfere at this stage. It is made clear that the (trial) court will follow the law laid down by this court, said the bench also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal. The top court was hearing the ex-councillor's appeal against the Delhi High Court order rejecting his petition which challenged the trial court order for framing charges against him under Sections 3 (offence of money laundering) and 4 (punishment for the offence of money laundering) of PMLA. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing t

Delhi Lt Governor trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees: AAP

The AAP on Monday alleged that Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena is trying to "act" against Vidhan Sabha committees and has written to the chief secretary and the assembly seeking details on their functioning. Party national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj told a press conference that the Petitions Committee of the Delhi assembly had recommended action against officials on three different issues. But the Lt Governor (LG), instead of taking action against them, decided to take action against the committees, he alleged. "The Delhi LG is trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees. He has written to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the Delhi Vidhan Sabha questioning how the committees are functioning and whether they are going against the law," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. "He feels that they are interfering in the work of government officials. The LG has problems with the committees. This makes it clear that whatever the officials do to interfere in the functioning of the government is

AAP slams EC on Shiv Sena ruling, calls it part of BJP's 'Operation Lotus'

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday condemned the decision of the Election Commission of India to recognise the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena and said it was an extension of the Bharatiya Janata Party's "Operation Lotus". "Operation Lotus" is a term used by opposition parties alleging foul play on the part of the BJP to topple governments in states by poaching legislators and bringing about splits in ruling parties. The Election Commission (EC) on Friday allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by CM Shinde, in the process delivering a big blow to Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray founded the outfit in 1966. Institutions like the EC are acting as though choreographed to singularly benefit the BJP, whose culture is one of naked power grab through any means, AAP Mumbai president Preeti Sharma Menon said in a statement here. "The conduct of EC will even put the proverbial 'caged parrot' to

Delhi LG gives nod to convene MCD House, hold mayoral poll on February 22

Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has given his nod to convene the municipal House on February 22 to hold the election for the post of mayor, Raj Niwas officials said on Saturday. The LG's nod came hours after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recommended to him that the mayoral election be held on the said date. The development comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered the issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of elections for the mayor, the deputy mayor and the members of the Standing Committee. In a shot in the arm for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the apex court also held on Friday that the members nominated by the LG to the MCD cannot vote to elect the mayor. "Recommended MCD mayor elections to be held on 22 Feb," Kejriwal said in a tweet earlier in the day.

AAP says LG supported BJP in delaying mayor polls, demands his resignation

The Aam Aadmi Party staged a protest on Saturday outside the Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's house here demanding his resignation for allegedly supporting "BJP's hooliganism" and delaying the mayoral polls. Several AAP leaders including MLA Atishi and Durgesh Pathak gathered at Raj Niwas Marg with banners and raised slogans demanding LG's resignation. "The order of Supreme Court on the Delhi mayoral poll is a tight slap on the face of the BJP. What the LG has done so far in Delhi is unconstitutional and after what has been said in the court order, the LG should step down," Pathak said at the protest. The Supreme Court had ruled that nominated members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) cannot vote in the mayoral election. Pathak alleged that several decisions were taken by the LG "unconstitutionally" and that he also supported "BJP's hooliganism". "First, the aldermen were appointed by the LG, bypassing the Delhi government. Then, they tried to get the aldermen to vote in

CM Kejriwal recommends LG to hold Delhi mayoral election on Feb 22

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday recommended to Lt Governor V K Saxena that the mayoral election be held on February 22. This comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date of election for mayor, deputy mayor and members of the Standing Committee. In a shot in the arm for the ruling AAP, the apex court on Friday also held that members nominated by the LG to the MCD cannot vote to elect the mayor. "Recommended MCD Mayor elections to be held on 22 Feb," Kejriwal said in a tweet. 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 over two months since the municipal elections were held on December 4 and Delhi is yet to get a mayor. The MCD could not elect the mayor on three previous occasions amid tumult as

BJP accuses AAP govt of wasting Rs 63 cr on publicity of Shopping Festival

Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana slammed the AAP government for "announcing events without any preparation and wasting public money on their publicity"

Delhi Mayor polls: Nominated members can't vote in elections, says SC

The court further directed that a notice for the election of mayor and the first meeting of the MCD shall be issued within 24 hours

AAP govt resorts to hunger strike in Srinagar amid anti-encroachment drive

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said it is on hunger strike here to demand a formal order from the Jammu and Kashmir administration to spare poor residents and shopkeepers from the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. "Our vice-president Nazir Ahmad Ittoo started the hunger strike last night but due to security reasons, we were not allowed to sit at the Press Colony. We had to shift to our office," AAP youth leader Mudasir Hassan said. "The hunger strike will continue till a formal order is issued by the administration," he added. Hassan said the administration was making statements day in and day out that poor people will not be affected by the demolition drive. "We are asking the administration to issue a formal order to this effect," he said, adding that the party was not against an anti-encroachment drive against rich and influential land grabbers.

Kejriwal approves studying jammer technology for deployment in Delhi jails

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given his nod for the formation of a panel to study the best jammer technologies across the globe so that they can be deployed in Delhi jails to disable mobile signals, officials said on Wednesday. The committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of DG (Prisons) and comprises professors from IIT Madras professor and IISC Bangalore, as well as DRDO scientists, IB and SPG officers as members, they said. This committee will suggest the technology to Delhi government for implementation of jammer system, including 5G in jails, they added.

Delhi govt pulls up DM (south) for 'inaction' in Mehrauli demolition drive

The Delhi government has pulled up the district magistrate (south) for alleged "inaction" related to the Mehrauli demolition drive and directed him again to carry out fresh demarcation in the area, officials said on Tuesday. Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot had directed the DM (south) last week to carry out fresh demarcation of "disputed" area after the affected residents alleged that the demarcation exercise was done keeping them in the dark. In an order issued by Gahlot on Tuesday, it was alleged that DM (south) neither complied with the direction for fresh demarcation nor asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to stop the ongoing demolition exercise. The copy of the order has been sent to DDA vice chairman Subhasish Panda reiterating that the demolition drive cannot be carried out without demarcation. "In the face of large scale demolition by DDA, such non-compliance by DM (South) with regard to demarcation exercise which is the basis for carrying out demolition activities,

Adani-Hindenburg row: AAP holds protests in Srinagar, Jammu; demands probe

Police on Sunday prevented AAP workers from staging a protest outside the BJP office here over the Adani-Hindenburg row. Led by AAP's central Kashmir youth president Jibran Dar, party workers assembled in Jawahar Nagar area and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. The protesters alleged that Modi was favouring Adani, but doing nothing for ordinary people. Before they could reach the BJP office in the area, the protesters were detained by police and whisked away to the local police station. Adani Group stocks have taken a beating after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, against it. The Adani Group has dismissed the allegations as lies. The AAP also staged a protest outside the BJP office in Jammu over the issue and demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into independent India's "biggest scam". AAP workers led

Water cannon used on AAP workers protesting over Adani issue in Chandigarh

The Chandigarh Police on Sunday used water cannon to prevent AAP workers from moving towards the BJP office here as part of their protest against the Centre over the Adani issue. Aam Aadmi Party workers, gathered from various parts of Punjab, wanted to "gherao" the office of the Punjab BJP in Sector 37 here to register their protest against the party-led central government. Barricades were put up and a heavy deployment of police was made to prevent the protesters from heading towards the Punjab BJP office. Police used a water cannon when AAP workers tried to force their way towards the BJP office, said officials. Carrying party flags, AAP workers shouted slogans against the BJP government over the Adani issue. AAP MLA from the Jalalabad constituency Jagdeep Kamboj slammed the BJP alleging that it has failed on all fronts. Later, police detained several party leaders and workers. Earlier speaking to reporters at the party office, AAP leader Harchand Singh Barsat alleged that the

Delhi LG replaces AAP govt nominees from discom boards with senior officers

'Government nominees', including AAP leader Jasmine Shah, appointed to the boards of power discoms in Delhi by the Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation have been replaced with senior officials, sources at the Lieutenant Governor's office said on Saturday. Besides Shah, a spokesperson of the AAP, those removed from the boards include Naveen Gupta, son of AAP MP N D Gupta, and other private persons "illegally" appointed as 'government nominees', they claimed. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party termed the LG's orders removing Shah and Gupta from the boards of discoms "illegal and unconstitutional". The LG does not have the power to issue such orders, it claimed. The sources at the LG's office, meanwhile, said the finance secretary, power secretary and the MD of Delhi Transco will now represent the city government on the boards of the discoms, in line with the prevalent practice. Delhi LG V K Saxena had ordered the immediate removal of Shah, Gupta and other private individuals "illegally" appointe

Admissions for EWS, children with disabilities begin in Delhi pvt schools

The registration process for admission of Economically Weaker Sections/Disadvantages Group (EWS/DG) and children with disabilities at the entry-level classes in Delhi's private schools began on Friday, Delhi government officials said. The last date to submit online applications is February 25 and the first computerised draw of lots will be conducted on March 3. An applicant can access the website of the Directorate of Education (DoE) (www.edudel.nic.in) and click on "EWS/DG Admission" link available on the home page for applying, the officials said. According to the DoE, it is mandatory for the applicants to submit their Aadhaar numbers to "avoid duplicity" of the application. The private schools (up to primary level) recognised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been also included in the computerised online admission system for EWS/DG category admissions at the entry level. "Single application shall be filed by an individual applicant for online admission process. .