New Delhi: Voting for the bypolls in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has began on Sunday morning across the city under tight security arrangements. Polling will continue till 5:30 pm. These bypolls are important because they will show what people think after the BJP’s big victory in the Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year.
To conduct the voting smoothly, the State Election Commission has set up 580 booths at 143 different locations. Around 2,320 election officials, 580 Home Guards, and 2,265 other security personnel – along with 13 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to ensure safe and fair voting.
BJP has put forward 8 women candidates
A total of 51 candidates are contesting, including 26 women. The BJP is contesting with the highest number of women candidates (8), followed by AAP with 6 and the Congress with 5. The contest is being seen as another major clash between the BJP and AAP after the assembly polls in February, where the BJP won 48 out of 70 seats and returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, defeating AAP.
Of the 12 MCD wards that are voting today, nine were earlier held by the BJP and three by AAP. The results will show whether the BJP’s momentum continues or if AAP can make a comeback at the local level. Election officials said they are prepared for a peaceful voting day as thousands of residents step out to cast their ballots.