Response sought on plea against nomination of AAP MLAs

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi Assembly Speaker on a plea challenging the AAP government's appointment of ruling party MLAs as municipal councillors for a second time and not rotating the legislators as per MCD rules.

A Division Bench presided by Justices G.S. Sistani and Jyoti Singh also issued notice to the AAP government and the Lt Governor of Delhi seeking their response on the plea filed by BJP leader in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta.

The plea contended that the notification was arbitrary and contrary to the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

"The Respondent No. 2 (Assembly Speaker) while nominating the municipal councillors by rotation every year shall ensure that all Members of the Legislative Assembly irrespective of political party shall be given an opportunity of being represented in the corporation at least once during the duration of the corporation," the plea said.

The plea added that the during the tenure of the present Legislative Assembly, not one MLA from the opposition had been nominated by the Speaker.

"Not only this, the Speaker has nominated the same Members of Legislative Assembly as members of the three municipal corporations who were already nominated in the previous years and all belong to the one political party," Gupta said in his plea. IANS