MCD polls: BJP headed for 2/3rd majority; AAP, Cong fight for 2nd place

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New Delhi: The counting of votes for the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD) elections began at 8 am on Wednesday.

Votes for the elections are being counted at 35 centers across the city. Of these, 16 are in north Delhi, 13 in the south, and six in east Delhi.

Live Updates:

  • Kejriwal’s media adviser has blamed ‘tampered’ EVMs for the BJP’s big win.
  • First results are in: BJP wins from Janakpuri West and Janakpuri East.
  • BJP looks set to finish with a 2/3rd majority in all 3 constituencies, as almost all trends are in.
  • With most of the trends in, BJP is far ahead of AAP and Congress. BJP leads in 52 out of 86 seats in MCD North, 63 out of 97 in MCD South, and 37 out of 54 in MCD East. AAP and Congress are now fighting for second place, with AAP inching ahead.
  • “Trends look in tune with what I saw during campaigning. People have faith in policies of BJP, and leadership of PM,” leader Dr Harsh Vardhan says.
  • BJP has now established a clear lead in all three areas – with around half the trends in. AAP has been relegated to third position in MCD East and South, and is neck-and-neck with Congress in MCD North.
  • Early trends show BJP leading in all three areas – MCD East, MCD North and MCD South. Congress is doing better than exit poll predictions in all 3 areas. AAP is at No 2 in MCD North, and No 3 in MCD East and MCD South.

As many as 90,000 security personnel of Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and Home Guards were deployed at counting centres.

Two exit polls had predicted BJP finishing way ahead of the AAP and the Congress with over 200 of the 270 wards where polling was held.

Voting to pick three new municipal corporations in Delhi took place on Sunday, in which 54 per cent of the 1.32 crore electorate exercised their franchise till 5.30 p.m. when polling ended in 270 wards of the three municipal corporations.

On polling day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked the State Election Commission claiming that reports of “faulty” EVMs were pouring in from across the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief also alleged that many voters with valid voter slips were “not allowed” to exercise their franchise in the municipal polls. Arvind Kejriwal had earlier demanded that the election be postponed till arrangements for VVPAT-equipped EVM were made.

The state election commission denied the charges.

“EVM has proved that its unhackable. It is a robust machine. Don’t think there should be any question related to EVM,” State Election commissioner S K Shrivastava said.

Polling did not take place in two wards, Maujpur in east Delhi and Sarai Pipal Thala in north Delhi where a candidate each of the Samajwadi Party died.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are the three main contenders in the fray.

After losing in this month’s assembly by-polls and the February elections in Punjab and Goa, the municipal polls are an acid test for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi.

Kejriwal’s former party colleague Yogendra Yadav, who now leads the Swaraj India, wrote an open letter to the chief minister and challenged him to win at least 50 percent seats in the civic polls or step down.

Even as the Swaraj India and the Janata Dal (United) look to expand base beyond Bihar and Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP and the Congress have roped in top leaders and done whatever they could to woo the voters.