The Supreme Court is questioning the power of the lieutenant governor to nominate 10 aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi without the help of the elected government. The court asked the lieutenant governor’s office for the source of their power to make these nominations. The office responded by saying that the concept of “aid and advice” does not apply in this case, as the file for nominations directly came to the office of the lieutenant governor. The court will hear the plea on Wednesday after reading the office’s response. The Delhi government argued that the lieutenant governor should have taken back the nominations, as he has to act on their advice.
Earlier in May, the court said that the lieutenant governor has to act on the advice of the council of ministers of the Delhi government in nominating aldermen. A constitution bench recently limited the powers of the Centre’s point man in running day-to-day administration of the national capital.
