Voter turnout subdued in 12-ward MCD bye polls

Notwithstanding the holiday on account of Sunday, voter turnout in the MCD bypolls to 12 wards on Sunday remained subdued, with the overall polling recorded at 38.51 per cent till 5.30 pm. The voting remained peaceful across 580 polling booths, according to the State Election Commission. The voting began at 7.30 am and ended at 5.30 pm. The by-election marks the first direct face-off between the BJP, AAP and Congress since the February 5 Assembly polls.

“The polling remained completely peaceful, and there were no reports of any disorder or commotion at any polling station. No disruption in polling reported due to technical issues or malfunctions in the EVM machines,” the SEC said in a statement.

Among the 12 wards where polling was held, Chandni Mahal recorded the highest turnout at 55.93 per cent. It was followed by Mundka with 44.5 per cent voter participation and Sangam Vihar-A with 44.4 per cent. Greater Kailash registered the lowest turnout at just 26.76 per cent, while Dwarka-B recorded 29.76 per cent polling. Chandni Chowk saw 35.65 per cent turnout, Ashok Vihar 33.82 per cent and Shalimar Bagh-B 37.53 per cent. Besides this, Dichaon Kalan witnessed 37.2 percent voting, Naraina 42.76 percent, Dakshin Puri 40.23 percent and Vinod Nagar 36.47 percent voting.

A total of 51 candidates, including 26 women, are contesting the polls. The BJP has fielded the highest number of women candidates (8), followed by AAP (6) and Congress (5).

The Congress is also vying to make inroads, though the primary battle is between the BJP and AAP.

The AAP is determined to regain ground after losing the assembly elections, but their efforts suffered a setback with senior leader and two-time MLA Rajesh Gupta switching allegiance to the BJP just before the polls. The votes will be counted on December 3.

To ensure a smooth voting process, the Delhi State Election Commission had deployed strong security measures, including 2,320 polling personnel, 2,265 additional staff, 580 Home Guards, and 13 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces. Polling stations were being monitored via webcasting for real-time oversight. Voters also provided instant feedback using QR codes displayed at the stations. The election authorities have introduced inclusive facilities such as ‘Pink Booths’ operated entirely by women and Model Polling Booths aimed at creating a welcoming environment for all voters.

In the 2022 Delhi Municipal Corporation election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 134 seats with 42.05% of the votes. The party received 30,84,957 votes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 104 seats, securing 39.09% of the vote share and receiving a total of 28,67,472 votes in the capital.