MCD House ruckus: Delhi Police uses water cannons on BJP workers protesting outside CM Kejriwal's residence

Only four aldermen could take oath before the House plunged into chaos. The AAP alleged that the BJP made the aldermen take oath first in order to get them voting rights for the mayor and deputy mayor elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday (January 9) had a face-off over Delhi's mayoral election as both parties organised protest marches against each other in the national capital.

The AAP supporters held a protest outside the BJP headquarters and the BJP workers marched to the residence of Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

At the CM's residence, Delhi Police had to use water cannons on the 2,000-odd BJP workers who had gathered there for the protest.

The AAP held a protest outside the BJP headquarters over the aldermen nominated by the Lt Governor to the MCD House being administered oath before the elected representatives and accused the saffron party of flouting rules.

On January 6, the maiden meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned without electing mayor and deputy mayor as BJP and AAP councillors exchanged heated words and came to blows over presiding officer Satya Sharma administering oath to the aldermen first and not the elected representatives.

Only four aldermen could take oath before the House plunged into chaos. The AAP alleged that the BJP made the aldermen take oath first in order to get them voting rights for the mayor and deputy mayor elections.

Speaking to reporters, AAP's mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi said, "We are here to protest against what was done on January 6. We feel that these nominated aldermen were administered oaths first as they might be given voting rights. We want a statement from the LG that they will not vote and only then our protest will end."

On January 3, Lt Governor VK Saxena had nominated 10 aldermen to the MCD House. The AAP had alleged that all the nominated members were BJP workers and the civic body sent their names directly to Saxena without keeping the city government in the loop.

Aldermen refers to people who are experts in their fields. However, they do not have voting rights in the mayoral election.