Delhi MCD house adjourned till Friday; Check out the timeline of midnight drama

The MCD House was adjourned for the day on Thursday as ruckus and sloganeering continued over the election of six standing committee members. The House met at 8.30 am on Thursday but was adjourned for an hour amid sloganeering. The House met once more at 9.30 am, but soon after that, it was dismissed until Friday morning at 10 am.

Several hours after the new mayor was chosen, the poll to choose the six members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's standing committee was put on hold because of a commotion in the House.

Also Read | 'It's a long battle, I'm ready to fight...' Congress leader Pawan Khera arrested at Delhi airport

Here’s the timeline what has happened since last night: 

• As Shelly Oberoi of the AAP won the mayoral election by a majority of 34 ballots over Rekha Gupta of the BJP, work in the House got underway around 11:30 am.
• The Assembly quickly adjourned following the election for mayor, and when it reconvened, Aaley Mohammed Iqbal of the AAP defeated Kamal Bagri of the BJP to win the election for deputy mayor.
• The Assembly was then put on hold for an hour by Mayor Oberoi.
• While waiting for the House to resume, many BJP members shouted "Hanuman Chalisa" for a while.
• Around 6:15 p.m., the meeting eventually started, and the process of choosing the six members of the MCD group got under way.
• BJP members objected when the mayor made bringing a phone into the polling area legal. Later, a large number of them gathered at the Well of the House to chant anti-Arvind Kejriwal slogans.

Also Read | Gucci slippers to jeans worth Rs 80k recovered from Sukesh Chandrashekhar's surprise jail raid

• The mayor asked the protesting members to go back to their seats. 
• The House then took another 15-minute break at around 8 o'clock. The House did, however, reconvene around 9:30 p.m., but BJP members persisted in their demonstration and demanded that the proceedings be reinstituted.
• The BJP charged AAP members of impeding the election process and of cross-voting in the earlier-held election for the positions of mayor and deputy mayor as voting for the MCD standing committee continued until late Wednesday night amid adjournments.
• Aam Aadmi Party council members allegedly "openly cross-voted" in the day's early mayor and deputy mayor contests, according to Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor. Additionally, he claimed that the AAP never intended to permit the Standing Committee poll to take place.

Also Read | 'Our cadres suffered a lot, God's blessing is with us...' EPS after SC upholds Madras HC verdict

• "We protested to the fact that phones were permitted during ballot casting even though they shouldn't be. The mayor agreed, but we asked that the polling be restarted after 50 people had cast ballots and taken pictures. When we objected, we were threatened and assaulted,” BJP councilman Arjun Pal Singh said.
• Sanjay Singh, an AAP lawmaker, stated in a late-night briefing, "The Supreme Court has mandated that this poll take place. All AAP council members will be present until votes are completed. The ED and CBI have greatly hurt AAP and its head. We are currently witnessing events at the MCD residence. The Delhi mayor was being attacked by the BJP council members."
• The MCD house's proceedings began, but were shortly interrupted by BJP council members' protests and an hour-long adjournment.
• BJP councillor Shika Rai requested Mayor to allow them to put up their matter. Rai said the BJP councillors want the re-election of Standing Committee members from scratch on fresh ballots.
• House adjourned for one hour around 5 am amid continuous sloganeering and protests.
• Women councillors from the AAP-BJP party have also started fighting amid the continuing commotion and chanting outside the MCD building. Various media reports state that woman council members were seen fighting in the video of the event, as the house battles to continue the election. The fifth time since last night, the assembly was again recessed.
• Clash at MCD House: AAP, BJP councillors threw boxes, exchanged blows.

Also Read | 'Thought son would die of COVID': Gurugram woman, child rescued after being locked in home for 3 years

• Around 8.30 am, the Mayor adjourned the house for the seventh time amid continuous sloganeering and ruckus in the house by BJP and AAP councillors
• AAP's Atishi wrote: "BJP’s gundagardi caught on camera - BJP Councillor tearing the ballot papers for the Standing Committee elections. Why are they scared of elections in the MCD House? Why can they not accept the mandate of the people of Delhi?"
• Mayor at the chair house reconvenes. "You all have the right to vote, we have not denied anyone their right," said the Mayor.
• Delhi MCD house adjourned for the 8th time till Friday 10 AM amid the massive ruckus.