AAP suspends three MCD councillors over cross-voting in Delhi ward elections

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday suspended three of its Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillors with immediate effect following allegations of cross-voting during ward committee elections in the West Zone and City SP Zone. The disciplinary action was announced by Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj a day after the local civic body elections took place.

The three suspended councillors are Nirmala Devi (Sharma) from the West Zone, Krishna Devi Raghav from the West Zone, and Sultana Abad from the City SP Zone. The party alleged that the councillors cross-voted against party lines, allowing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tighten its grip on the Delhi civic body by winning key chairperson posts.

In the City SP Zone, the cross-voting significantly altered the expected election outcome. AAP initially held seven councillor seats in the zone, while the BJP held four and the Forward Bloc held one. Despite AAP's majority, BJP candidate Usha Sharma secured seven votes to win the chairperson's post, while the AAP candidate received only five votes.

In the West Zone, AAP officials stated that the chairperson was similarly elected because of cross-voting by the party's own representatives.

Ankush Narang, the AAP leader of the opposition in the MCD, confirmed the disciplinary actions in a statement. Narang stated that the chairman in the West Zone was elected through cross-voting, and the councillors who cross-voted against the party in the City SP Zone were suspended with immediate effect.

Following the suspensions, AAP released a statement emphasizing that a betrayal of the mandate and the party would not be tolerated. The party added that strict action against those involved in anti-party activities would continue, stating that elections are not fought by an individual, but by the entire party.