New Delhi, Feb 23, 2023, IANS

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): Ruckus in the MCD House by the BJP and AAP councillors over election of Standing Committee members continued way past midnight forcing its adjournment till Friday morning.

Members of both parties were seen engaging in sloganeering and hurling water bottles on each other till early Thursday leading to further delay in the election process.

Before the final adjournment, the House was adjourned 13 times.

After AAP candidates were elected to the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor on Wednesday, the proceedings for the election of standing committee members commenced which was opposed by BJP councillors over allowing mobile phones inside the polling booth.

BJP members also demanded that the prior voting, which was allowed with mobile phones, should be done away with. This triggered ruckus leading to repeated adjournments.

Amid chaos, Mayor Shelly Oberoi alleged, "BJP councillors just tried to attack me while I was conducting the Standing Committee elections, as per Supreme Court orders! This is the extent of BJP's Gundagardi that they are trying to attack a woman Mayor".

"There was vandalism in the House. BJP's Rekha Gupta broke the podium, Amit Nagpal tore the ballot paper, and threw the ballot box. The whole night we tried to conduct the standing committee elections," Oberoi said, adding that action will be taken against those involved in the vandalism". She then adjourned till Friday 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, the BJP councillors also protested over the election of members to the Standing Committee of MCD outside the MCD house. "We are asking them not to allow mobiles inside to maintain the secrecy of the ballot. We want fair elections," said the protesting BJP councillors.