A meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the first being presided over by new Mayor Rajni Abbi, had to be adjourned abruptly today amid ruckus caused by both BJP and Congress.

While Congress members protested the 17-28 per cent hike in toll tax for commercial vehicles entering the city, the BJP raised slogans against recent selection of 10 persons as Aldermen to the MCD.

An Alderman is a member of a municipal council who is not elected by popular vote. Under the DMC Act, the Lt Governor can nominate 10 eminent persons as Aldermen to the MCD following recommendation by the Delhi government.

The new Aldermen were scheduled to take oath today but could not do so due to the uproar.

After the meeting was adjourned, former Mayor and Congress councillor Farhad Suri held an unofficial swearing-in ceremony as protest. "The Mayor did not maintain the decorum and sided with her party members," he claimed.

Leader of Opposition J K Sharma said they will complain to Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna and seek dissolution of MCD for "disrespecting" his order appointing the Aldermen.

Leader of the House Subhash Arya, however, said to be nominated as Aldermen, people need knowledge about administration of local bodies or expertise in some field.

"These Aldermen who have been nominated recently have neither. It seems that it has been done just to adjust the political workers of the Congress to make them happy."