Civic bodies should focus on citizens, not politics

The saga of the Delhi mayoral elections has focused on the ongoing tussle between the BJP and the AAP as both parties have taken the election as an issue of political prestige. Even after the elections, two councillors of the BJP moved the Delhi High Court against mayor Shelly Oberoi’s decision to declare a vote invalid during MCD’s Standing Committee election. While the narrative of the civic polls has completely shifted to the tug-of-war between the parties, several political analysts point out that the MCD should focus on grappling with municipal issues that plague the city, rather than focusing on internal party politics and issues. The MCD is one of the largest municipal bodies in the world as it has the responsibility of providing civic services to a population of around 20 million living in the city. Municipal issues such as the upkeep of city roads, drains, municipal schools, public health facilities, and sanitation, all fall under the purview of the MCD.The need of the hour is to focus on the provision of these, rather than on the internal politics and elections of the civic body. Upon her election, Oberoi said she will work on fulfilling the “10 guarantees” promised to people before the MCD polls, which includes improving schools, hospitals, parks, the beautification of Delhi, as well as addressing the issue of unauthorised colonies and the various landfills in the city. The MCD had been running without an elected body since May 2022, and also failed its deadline of passing its annual budget on 15 February.