Delhi gears up for MCD bypolls in 12 wards

Delhi is geared up for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypolls in 12 wards on Sunday, with the BJP pitted in its first major electoral test after the assembly polls against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Congress seeking to make a dent in its voter base. The campaigning by the major parties and independents was marked by roadshows, street meetings, and door-to-door contacts on the final day of campaigning on Friday. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, AAP leader and former CM Atishi, MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav were among the leaders who extensively participated in the campaign on the last day.

In the last day campaign, the Chief Minister, during a roadshow in Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar and Shalimar Bagh B ward, asserted that the BJP candidates in all the wards are receiving tremendous “blessings” of the people, and it will be reflected in the results on December 3.

She said the people of Delhi know very well that this by-election will not affect the power equation of the corporation, but even then, the public wants to use this opportunity to give the BJP a clear majority in the Corporation. MP Praveen Khandelwal, Delhi Ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Ravindra Indraj Singh, State General Secretary Vishnu Mittal, Treasurer Satish Garg and Media Head Praveen Shankar Kapoor also joined various roadshows.

A total of 51 candidates, including 26 women, are in the fray for the polls due on November 30. The BJP has fielded the highest number of eight women in the contest, the AAP six and the Congress five women candidates. It’s the first major electoral challenge faced by the BJP after it registered an emphatic victory in the Delhi Assembly polls in February, winning 48 of the 70 seats and forming a government led by Chief Minister Gupta.

Out of the 12 MCD wards going for polls, nine were earlier held by the BJP and three by the AAP. Keeping in view of the MCD bypolls, DTC will start operating from 3 am and according to the Delhi Metro, metros in Delhi will start operating from 4 am.

As many as 580 voting booths have been set up across 143 polling locations. A total of 2,320 polling party personnel have been assigned for these many booths, along with a 20 per cent reserve strength of 464. Security arrangements include the deployment of 2,265 Delhi Police personnel, 580 Home Guards, and 13 companies of CAPF. Ten strong room-cum-counting centres have been designated. Voting for the bypolls will be held in all 12 wards from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on November 30, with counting of votes slated for December 3.

All polling stations will be monitored through webcasting to ensure real-time oversight of the polling process.

QR codes displayed at polling stations will allow voters to submit instant feedback online after casting their vote. To enhance the voting experience and promote inclusive participation, each ward will be equipped with one Model Polling Booth as well as one Pink Booth, designed to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for voters.

The silence period came into effect from 5.30 pm on November 28. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that due to the Delhi Government’s initiatives such as starting sewer cleaning work, improving electricity and water supply during summer, waiving penalties on water bills, cleaning the Yamuna, excellent arrangements during Chhath Puja, better road maintenance, and improvements in DTC bus services — the public mood is clearly shifting in favour of the BJP. He said that every election in Delhi is important, but Arvind Kejriwal — who travels across the country campaigning for his party — being absent from the Delhi Municipal Corporation by-election campaign is a silent pre-acceptance of defeat.

Union Minister Harsh Malhotra said that although Vinod Nagar has traditionally been a BJP stronghold, this time even AAP voters are angry because Kejriwal has fielded a corrupt woman leader who has been jailed, and they will vote for the BJP’s clean-image candidate.

AAP leader Atishi led roadshows on Friday in Naraina Ward 139 and Shalimar Bagh Ward 56, joined by the party’s MCD Prabhari Durgesh Pathak, to mobilise support for AAP’s candidates in the upcoming MCD by-elections.

The Delhi Assembly LoP said residents across the capital are increasingly disillusioned with the Rekha Gupta Government and now “regret bringing the BJP to power.”

Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav, while appealing to the people of Delhi for voting in the 12 wards of the MCD by-elections to be held on 30th November, said that if you want to make Delhi free from the politics of lies, deceit, greed, deception and corruption, then the BJP and the AAP should focus on the current problems like false promises, deadly pollution, contaminated water, broken roads, bad transport system and broken law and order, deception of giving Rs 2500 monthly, cylinder for Rs 500 and free Holi Diwali cylinder.  Yadav said that the work done by the Sheila Dikshit government of 15 years of Congress rule to make Delhi a world-class city, but the corrupt rule of 12 years by the BJP and the AAP made Delhi a hell.