Proposal in NDMC to declare Kejriwal seat as vacant

According to officials present in the meeting, Chahal moved a resolution on Wednesday, and the chairman tabled it for the next meeting for discussion and voting. The CM was also present on Wednesday.

The official said that NDMC member submitted a copy of the resolution Monday. The proposal had consent from four other NDMC members.

Chahal said that according to section 8 (2) of the NDMC Act, 1994, “if during three successive months, a member is without permission of the council, absent from all meetings thereof, the council may recommend the central government that seat of such member may be declared vacant”. As per the resolution, the CM, who is an ex-officio member of the NDMC and is the MLA of New Delhi constituency, did not attend council meetings for four months, from December 2021 to March this year, allegedly without taking the council’s permission.

“Therefore as per the provisions of section 8 of the NDMC Act, the council may recommend to the central government that the seat… may be declared vacant with the recommendation to initiate further necessary action accordingly,” said Chahal in the resolution.

The Delhi government did not respond to messages seeking comment.

This is not the first time such a thing has happened. The NDMC member had raised a similar matter a few months ago after which the CM attended the last two council meetings.

Chahal said, “I have also sought a recommendation from the law department and they have also sent a report saying it is legally possible to declare a seat vacant… So, in the next meeting, the voting will take place and then it will be recommended to the central government for a final decision on the matter.”

“As per the provisions mentioned in NDMC act, the council has the power to recommend the central government for issuing a declaration of vacation of the seat of such member…,” said a report by the law department.