BJP-AAP fight stalls Delhi mayor election for the second time

The high-stakes Delhi mayor election was stalled for the second time this month as the House was adjourned till further notice by the LG-appointed presiding officer following a ruckus by some councillors. The adjournment prompted councillors, 13 MLAs and three Rajya Sabha MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to sit on a "dharna" for nearly four hours against the BJP at the Civic Centre, demanding immediate polls.

Both BJP and AAP members held each other responsible for the derailment of the proceedings.

The day began with the oath-taking of 249 councillors amid unusual heavy deployment of civil defence personnel and marshals. Paramilitary personnel, who were equipped with anti-riot equipment, were also deployed outside the House.

Soon after the oath-taking exercise was completed, the House was adjourned for a 15-minute break.

When the House reconvened, disruption ensued amid sloganeering by BJP and AAP members who came face-to-face, following which Presiding Officer Satya Sharma, a BJP