The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to face its first major electoral test after winning the capital's assembly elections earlier in the year. Delhi will witness the MCD byelections in 12 wards as all the parties gear up for the polls.
The fate of 51 candidates, including 26 women, will be decided in the bypolls on November 30. The BJP has fielded the highest number of women candidates (8), followed by AAP (6) and Congress (5).
The voting will get underway at 7:30 AM at 580 booths in the capital at 143 polling venues, the Delhi State Election Commission informed. The electoral exercise will be facilitated by 2,320 polling body personnel, along with the deployment of 2,265 personnel, 580 Home Guards, and 13 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces.
After the February 2025 Assembly elections, the ruling BJP and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be head-to-head again in the MCD bypolls. In the Vidhan Sabha Elections, the BJP defeated AAP comprehensively, winning 48 of the 70 seats to retain power after 27 years.
Of the 12 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) wards, nine were earlier held by the BJP and three by AAP.
It will be a battle of prestige for the BJP in seats like Shalimar Bagh and Dwarka B. The Shalimar Bagh B ward was ruled by the now Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, who was the councillor before and had to leave the post after winning the assembly election and becoming Delhi’s chief minister.
The Dwarka B ward was earlier represented by the BJP’s West Delhi MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat. After losing power in Delhi, the AAP is aiming to weaken the BJP’s hold by increasing the number of wards under its control. However, the party suffered a setback on the eve of the bypolls when senior leader and two-time MLA Rajesh Gupta defected to the BJP.
According to officials, polling stations will be monitored through webcasting to provide real-time oversight of the voting process.
QR codes displayed at the stations will allow voters to give instant online feedback after casting their ballots.
To improve the voting experience and encourage inclusive participation, each ward will feature one Model Polling Booth as well as a ‘Pink Booth’—an all-women-managed station designed to offer a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for voters.
The Delhi State Election Commission has also set up 10 strong room–cum–counting centres for storing sealed EVMs once voting is complete.
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