Full readiness for November 30 bypolls in 12 MCD wards with EVMs/VVPATs and security
Nine BJP-held seats (e.g., Shalimar Bagh B, Dwarka B) vs. three AAP; first post-Assembly test, unlikely to shift BJP's 116-seat majority but key for prestige.
AAP slams "hooliganism" via Atishi, Bharadwaj; Congress eyes anti-corruption pitch amid defections like Rajesh Gupta to BJP.
The Delhi State Election Commission has declared itself fully prepared for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by-elections on November 30 across 12 wards, deploying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) at 12 polling stations, with stringent security measures to ensure a smooth process amid brisk voter turnout expectations. A total of 51 candidates, including 26 women, are contesting these polls setting the stage for a fierce triangular contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Congress.
Of the contested wards, nine were previously held by the BJP while three were AAP bastions such as Chandni Chowk, Dakshinpuri, and Chandni Mahal. Campaigning concluded on November 28 with high-octane roadshows and rallies, where BJP leaders like Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva pitched "development and governance" achievements of their nine-month MCD rule, vowing to restart stalled projects and criticizing AAP's 12-year legacy of "shortcomings." AAP, led by figures including former Chief Minister Atishi, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, and state president Saurabh Bharadwaj, framed the bypolls as a "referendum on BJP's hooliganism and unfulfilled promises," highlighting alleged bulldozer actions in rural belts and unauthorized colonies.
