While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is hoping to wrest control of the civic body to establish complete rule over Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to win maximum wards to prepare a base for the next Delhi Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2025. On the other hand, Congress is looking to regain its lost ground in the national capital city.
BY VINIT WAHI
Polling has begun for 250 Wards of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Voting began at 8 this morning, will end at 5.30 PM. The counting of votes will take place on Wednesday.
Out of 250 wards, 104 are reserved for women. A total of 1,349 candidates including 709 women are in the fray for the MCD polls. Both BJP and AAP have fielded 250 candidates, while the Congress is contesting on only 247 seats as three of its nominations were cancelled. Our correspondent reports that Delhi State Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair polling.
Over one crore 46 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of the candidates. Around 13 thousand 600 polling stations have been set up across the national capital. Out of this, over 3 thousand have been identified as sensitive. Of the total polling stations, 68 model polling stations and as many pink polling stations have been set up, which are being entirely managed by women staff. Nearly 40 thousand Delhi Police personnel, 20,000 home guards and 108 companies of paramilitary and State armed police forces have been deployed to ensure a hassle-free civic polls.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal casts his vote in Civil Lines
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his family cast their votes at a polling booth in Civil Lines. He also urged voters to vote for the party which does development work and is honest. “I appeal to people to vote in large numbers. We can see there is garbage everywhere. It’s an opportunity to clean Delhi. Don’t vote for those who are corrupt. We’ve to clean Delhi in the next 5 years,” he added.