LIVE: BJP Reacts to Ugly MCD Brawl, Claims Cross-voting by AAP Led to Mayor Oberoi Declaring One Vote as Invalid

Both the BJP and the AAP blamed each other for the incident that forced the mayor to adjourn the House. One video showed councillors from both parties hurling water bottles and apples at each other inside the House while in another, women councillors could be seen hitting each other.

Both the AAP and the BJP have registered complaints with Delhi Police following clashes between councillors in the MCD House, officials said on Saturday. The police have received complaints from both the parties and further action will be taken accordingly, a senior police officer said.

A man was allegedly stabbed to death while resisting a robbery attempt in an east Delhi flat, police said on Saturday. The victim has been identified as one Sunil alias Yasin, they said. The police received information regarding the incident at C-34 Vijay Block in Laxmi Nagar around 8 pm on Friday.

BJP leader Harshdeep Malhotra alleged that Mayor Shelly Oberoi declared one vote as invalid because cross-voting had happened and several AAP leaders had also voted for BJP. “Her job was to declare the result and not declare any vote as invalid,” he said.

BJP leader Harshdeep Malhotra said Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi declared one vote as invalid because it was clear that BJP was winning 3 out of 6 seats of the Standing Commitee. “The result was given by the technical committee. And after that the Mayor says one vote is invalid. Though, technical committee said that vote was valid,” he said.

“They (BJP Councillors) created a ruckus and came up on stage to attack me. I thank female Civil Defence personnel for saving me. BJP members physically assaulted AAP female members. BJP accept your defeat,” Shelly Oberoi said. It was the third day of commotion in the House.

The ongoing tussle between the BJP and the AAP in Delhi’s MCD came to a head on Friday during the counting of votes for the standing committee election, when the verbal clash between the two parties escalated to physical violence. READ MORE

The BJP took a dig at AAP MLA Atishi on Saturday, calling her a “villain” and accusing her of orchestrating a ruckus during elections for the six-member standing committee in the MCD House. Sharing a mock-up film poster with morphed pictures of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Atishi and Durgesh Pathak alongside Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, the Delhi BJP tweeted in Hindi, “AAP’s ‘khalnayika’ who orchestrated violence and dictatorship in the House.” There was no immediate reaction from the MLA or the AAP.

Delhi on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 10.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average, the India Meteorological Department said. The maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to settle around 31 degrees Celsius, it said. The weather department has predicted mainly clear skies during the day.

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “What we witnessed today is just not imaginable. As soon as the mayor started announcing the results, BJP councillors started attacking our mayor and the civil defence staff.” “She somehow escaped and one of the civil defence personnel showed her hand which had bite marks. The way they attacked our mayor, we will take legal action,” he said.

“As soon as the voting was taking place, the BJP Councillors clearly sensed that they were losing. That’s why they stormed the session. As soon as I was about to announce the result, the BJP Councillors, especially Arjun Marwah, Chandan Chaudhary, and Ravi Negi came to the stage. Chaudhary dragged my chair and pushed me. I ran for my life,” Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said.

BJP councillor Sharad Kapoor approached the Delhi High Court on Friday, alleging that city Mayor Shelly Oberoi defied established norms and propriety by allowing the use of mobile phones and pens during the polls to elect the MCD standing committee members earlier this week.

Out of 250 MCD councillors, 242 had voted for Standing Committee Polls by Friday afternoon and the counting process was also underway and went on for 2 hours. After this, Mayor Oberoi then told members that one vote is invalid and result will be declared without it, a move that was strongly opposed by BJP members.