The results of the bypolls for 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be declared on Wednesday after the counting of votes. The outcome is set to reveal the current political pulse of Delhi voters and test the strength of the main rivals, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). For the Congress, the bypolls offer a rare opportunity to revive its dwindling presence in the national capital. Of the 12 wards that went to polls on November 30, nine were earlier held by the BJP while the remaining three belonged to AAP.
Elaborate counting arrangements in place
The Delhi State Election Commission has completed elaborate preparations for the counting process. Ten counting centres have been set up at Pitampura, Kanjhawala, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali. Each centre will handle counting for the designated wards. Strong room facilities have also been arranged along with secure entry and exit protocols.
The strong rooms housing the EVMs have been placed under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and guarded by paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel. Nearly 1,800 police personnel and 10 companies of paramilitary forces will be deployed during the counting. Around 700 staff members will be engaged in counting, with proper arrangements made for candidates and their authorised counting agents.
BJP eyes bigger win, Opposition cautious over low turnout
A senior Delhi BJP leader expressed confidence about improving the party's tally. "We are hopeful of increasing our tally from nine earlier to at least 10. The party leaders and workers reached out to the voters through extensive campaigning, which is likely to pay off," he said, as per news agency PTI . However, leaders from other parties cautioned that the lower voter turnout may influence the final numbers. The bypoll recorded a turnout of 38.51 per cent, significantly lower than the 50.47 per cent turnout during the 2022 MCD elections.
Shalimar Bagh B and Dwarka B wards in spotlight
Among the 12 wards, Shalimar Bagh B and Dwarka B are drawing particular attention. Shalimar Bagh B was vacated after former councillor Rekha Gupta contested the assembly elections and became Delhi's Chief Minister. Dwarka B was previously held by BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat.
The bypoll results are also being viewed as an indicator of public mood following the assembly elections in which the BJP made a strong comeback, winning 48 out of 70 seats and returning to power in Delhi after 27 years.
Performance of new BJP govt under voter lens
A Delhi Congress leader said that the BJP government has spent nearly nine months at the helm and its functioning and response to various issues including pollution, infrastructure and sanitation among others will be tested electorally. The bypolls are being closely watched as another round of political face-off between AAP and the BJP after the assembly elections, where AAP's tally fell sharply from 62 seats in 2020 to just 22.
