Delhi Mayor election, stalled due to AAP-BJP clashes thrice, to be held on Feb 16 now

Delhi LG VK Saxena has agreed to convene another meeting of MCD House on February 16 for election to the post of mayor. The proposal to hold the House session on February 16 was sent by Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal. On Saturday, government nominees, including AAP leader Jasmine Shah, appointed to power discom boards in Delhi by the Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation were replaced by senior officials.

Apart from Shah, the AAP spokesperson, those removed from the councils include Naveen Gupta, son of AAP MP ND Gupta, and other private individuals "illegally" appointed as "government nominees", they alleged. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party termed the LG's orders to remove Shah and Gupta from the discom boards as "illegal and unconstitutional". The LG has no power to issue such orders, it argued.

Sources in the LG office, meanwhile, said the finance minister, power minister and Delhi Transco MD will now represent the city government on the boards of discoms, in line with the prevailing practice. Delhi LG VK Saxena ordered the immediate removal of Shah, Gupta and other private individuals "illegally" appointed as government nominees to the boards of BYPL, BRPL and TPDDL, they said. However, the AAP said that only the elected government has the power to issue orders on the issue of electricity.