Delhi's MCD Bypolls: BJP wins 7; AAP 3; Congress 1
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won seven out of the 12 wards in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by-elections. The results were declared on Wednesday after counting at 10 centers across the city. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured three seats while the Congress and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) won one seat each.
Voter participation
Election turnout and previous ward distribution
The by-elections were held on November 30 with an overall voter turnout of 38.51%. This is a significant drop from the 50.47% turnout in the 2022 MCD elections for 250 wards. The highest was at Chandni Mahal at 55.93%. Out of the 12 wards where voting took place, nine were earlier held by the BJP, and three by AAP.
Key wins
BJP's Shalimar Bagh and Chandni Chowk victories
BJP's Anita Jain won the Shalimar Bagh ward with 6,742 votes, while Suman Kumar Gupta won Chandni Chowk with 7,825 votes. AAP's Anil won the Mundka ward, and Ram Swaroop Kanojia emerged victorious in Dakshin Puri. Congress candidate Suresh Choudhary won Sangam Vihar-A with 9,138 votes, while AIFB's Mohammad Imran won in Chandani Mahal ward.
Election process
Vote counting and leading candidates
Vote counting was conducted at 10 centers across Delhi. These were: Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali. The State Election Commission said that polling was peaceful and smooth across all locations. The by-elections were necessitated after several councillors were elected to the Delhi Assembly and Lok Sabha.