AAP moves SC over Delhi civic polls

Party accuses Centre of interference, seeks polls on schedule

The Aam Aadmi Party has moved Supreme Court accusing the Centre of interfering in the timely conduct of elections to the municipal corporations in Delhi before the expiry of their term in May 2022.

The petition urged the court to direct the State Election Commission (SEC), National Capital Territory of Delhi, to “conduct the municipal elections in Delhi according to the initially conceived schedule and before the expiry of the tenure of the municipal corporations of Delhi in May 2022”.

The party asked whether the “State Election Commission can be influenced by an unofficial communication sent by the Central government to defer the municipal elections, which was otherwise absolutely prepared to schedule and conduct [the elections]”.

It alleged that the SEC had been preparing to hold the elections in April. Half an hour before it was to hold a press conference on March 9 about the election schedule, a press note was circulated informing about a “communication from the Lt. Governor of Delhi”.

“The communication conveyed that the Government of India was intending to pass a legislation to merge the trifurcated municipal corporations of Delhi,” the petition said.

Following this, the declaration of the poll schedule was “indefinitely postponed” and the municipal elections were deferred.

The party accused the Centre of “brazen influence” over the SEC and “flagrant meddling” in the conduct of the civic polls.