BJP, AAP locked in fierce tussle to grab Delhi Mayor's post; BJP's mayor candidate reacts

Both the national parties, the BJP and the AAP have been putting in the maximum efforts to ensure that the Mayor, along with maximum members in the Standing Committee, are elected from their party.

The election of the Delhi Mayor, Deputy Mayor and 6 members of the Standing Committee is taking place on Friday.

The remaining 12 members of the 18-member Standing Committee, are elected from different zones by the councillors of political parties in the area.

The Committee plays an important role in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and is said to be the House's Finance Ministry, which is why both the parties desperately want to win the polls.

Four members from the AAP and three from the BJP will be contesting the elections.

Significantly, in the elections held in the 250 wards of the MCD, the AAP won 134 wards, while the BJP won only 104.

250 elected councillors can vote in the elections for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. From among the MPs, 7 Lok Sabha MPs, 3 Rajya Sabha MPs, 14 MLAs among the nominated people who have been made with the consent of the Assembly Speaker can cast their votes.

Overall, 274 people can vote in these elections.

BJP's mayor candidate Rekha Gupta reacts

The Kejriwal government's first day in Delhi Municipal Corporation has been very disappointing and Aam Aadmi Party councillors' behaviour was very unfortunate, said BJP mayor candidate Rekha Gupta on Friday's clash and chaos in the House.

Talking to IANS, Gupta said, "I am very pained to see that on the day when so many councillors were to be sworn-in and their term was about to begin today, the AAP councillors created such a ruckus in the House."

She said that the manner in which government property was damaged was an unfortunate incident. "The AAP councillors climbed on to the table of the presiding officer and the way they behaved is not expected from any public representative. The people of Delhi will not forgive AAP for the culture which was started by the Aam Aadmi Party today in the House".

Responding to IANS's question, Rekha Gupta said, "Whether it was such a big issue that the government property could be damaged? If you have any objection, you should stand up and raise the objection.

"But, AAP councillors jumped up immediately on to the centre stage, breaking the mikes, throwing chairs, running to harm the presiding officer. If you had anything to say, you could have said by raising an objection. All the officers were sitting there to listen to you," said Gupta referring to the AAP councillors.

Gupta said that the presiding officer has the jurisdiction to decide on the oath taking order. "Even if the presiding officer had started the oath-taking process from the nominated councillors, and anyone had objections, one could stand and raise objections. But this behaviour of AAP councillors has started a wrong tradition in the House," she told IANS.

(With inputs from IANS)