By Admin 
The by-elections for 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) concluded peacefully on Sunday (November 30) with 38.51 percent voting recorded till 5.30 pm. In the MCD elections of 2022, 50.47 percent voting was recorded. The State Election Commission said that voting was completely peaceful and no untoward incident or uproar was reported from any polling station. The highest turnout of 55.93 percent was recorded in Chandni Mahal.
Along with this, officials also said that voting was not disrupted due to technical fault in EVM. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP of ‘mishandling’, saying a former police station in-charge was campaigning for the BJP candidate in Dakshinpuri ward. However, BJP hit back saying that AAP has already prepared an excuse for its defeat.
BJP is confident of good performance – Virendra Sachdeva
BJP’s Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva, citing the response received from party workers during his visit to seven wards, said that the party is confident of a good performance. Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh thanked citizens for voting and expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge as a “clear and decisive winner”.
What allegations did Saurabh Bhardwaj make?
Meanwhile, AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that a former police station in-charge was “campaigning for the BJP candidate in plain clothes”. He accused the Election Commission of inaction. Sachdeva issued a statement rejecting the allegations and accused AAP of trying to conduct “fake voting”. Voting started at 7.30 in the morning.
What is the percentage of voting in 12 wards?
The Election Commission said that during the voting held in total 12 wards, the highest turnout of 55.93 percent was recorded in Chandni Mahal. The lowest turnout was recorded in Greater Kailash. Only 26.76 percent voters voted there. Voting was 44.50 percent in Mundka, 36.53 percent in Shalimar Bagh-B, 33.82 percent in Ashok Vihar and 35.65 percent in Chandni Chowk.
29.76 percent voting was recorded in Dwarka-B, 37.20 percent in Dichaun Kalan, 42.76 percent in Naraina, 44.40 percent in Sangam Vihar-A and 40.23 percent in Dakshin Puri. 36.47 percent voting took place in Vinod Nagar.
CM Rekha Gupta also voted
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had appealed to the citizens to vote in large numbers. The Chief Minister described voting as a democratic duty, which strengthens governance and development. Gupta cast his vote along with his family at his local polling booth. The Chief Minister said that by voting he fulfilled his “democratic responsibility”.
“Voting is an integral part of the sacred process of our democracy and our active participation in it further strengthens democratic values,” he said in a post on social media platform ‘X’.
Results will come on December 3
Counting of votes will take place on December 3. The results are expected to indicate where the voters of the national capital are headed after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s big victory in the assembly elections held at the beginning of the year. The State Election Commission had set up a total of 580 booths at 143 polling stations for the by-election. 2,320 Election Commission personnel, 580 home guards and 2,265 other employees were deployed for fair and free voting. Along with this, 13 companies of Central Armed Police Forces were also deployed.
51 candidates including 26 women were in the fray in the MCD by-election. BJP had fielded eight women candidates in the election contest. At the same time, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had given tickets to six women candidates and Congress to five. In the assembly elections, BJP returned to power in Delhi after 27 years by winning 48 out of 70 seats and ousted AAP from power.