No presiding officer: MCD Mayoral polls, scheduled today, postponed

CANCELLED AT THE BJP'S BEHEST: ATISHI

Elections to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi that were slated for April 26 were postponed on Thursday, with Lt Governor V K Saxena citing "unprecedented" circumstances where the chief minister is under judicial custody and cannot discharge his constitutionally obligated functions.

The civic body postponed the Mayoral polls after the Raj Niwas issued a letter on behalf of Saxena, stating that the appointment of a presiding officer could not be made in the absence of inputs from the chief minister, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money laundering-linked excise policy case.

AAP minister Atishi alleged that the election was cancelled at the BJP's behest.

The L-G in his letter to the chief secretary said, "These are peculiar and unprecedented circumstances where the serving chief minister is under judicial custody as an under trial prisoner involving a corrup tion case and therefore cannot discharge his constitutionally obligated functions."

It also stated that after thoughtful consideration of the matter and for upholding the sanctity of law and Constitution, "there is no scintilla of doubt that taking a decision regarding the appointment of the presiding officer in the circumstances, when the inputs of the chief minister are not available coupled with the factum that the minister is making wild and baseless allegations, would be grossly inap propriate both in terms of law and propriety.