Supreme Court upholds Delhi LG’s power to appoint aldermen to MCD, rejects AAP govt’s plea | India News
[ad_1]
नई दिल्ली: Supreme Court on Monday upheld Delhi lieutenant governor’s decision to nominate 10 ‘aldermen’ to the municipal corporation of Delhi, without consulting the state cabinet.
In a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government, a bench of CJ D Y Chandrachud, and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala ruled that the Parliament has statutorily conferred on LG the power to nominate 10 aldermen to MCD.
Writing the judgment, Justice Narasimha said once such power is conferred on LG, the AAP government can’t have a say on this issue.
In the petition filled in the top court, Arvind Kejriwal government had challenged the decision of the LG to nominate the members allegedly without the “aid and advice” of the council of ministers.
Besides seeking quashing of the nominations, the plea had also sought a direction to the LG’s office to nominate members to the MCD under Section 3(3)(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act…, “in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers”.
Last year, the top court said giving the LG the power to nominate aldermen to the MCD would mean he could destabilize an elected civic body. The MCD has 250 elected and 10 nominated members.
In December 2022, AAP defeated the BJP in the civic elections, winning 134 wards and ending the saffron party’s 15-year run at the helm of the MCD. BJP won 104 seats and Congress finished a distant third with nine.
In a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government, a bench of CJ D Y Chandrachud, and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala ruled that the Parliament has statutorily conferred on LG the power to nominate 10 aldermen to MCD.
Writing the judgment, Justice Narasimha said once such power is conferred on LG, the AAP government can’t have a say on this issue.
In the petition filled in the top court, Arvind Kejriwal government had challenged the decision of the LG to nominate the members allegedly without the “aid and advice” of the council of ministers.
Besides seeking quashing of the nominations, the plea had also sought a direction to the LG’s office to nominate members to the MCD under Section 3(3)(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act…, “in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers”.
Last year, the top court said giving the LG the power to nominate aldermen to the MCD would mean he could destabilize an elected civic body. The MCD has 250 elected and 10 nominated members.
In December 2022, AAP defeated the BJP in the civic elections, winning 134 wards and ending the saffron party’s 15-year run at the helm of the MCD. BJP won 104 seats and Congress finished a distant third with nine.
Hindi 
English