NEW DELHI: Voting for the by-elections in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) began on Sunday morning, with polling set to continue until 5.30pm.The bypolls are being viewed as an important indicator of public mood in the capital, coming months after the BJP’s strong win in the Delhi assembly elections earlier this year.
According to the State Election Commission, 580 polling booths have been arranged at 143 sites. A total of 2,320 election officials, 580 Home Guards, 2,265 additional staff and 13 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.There are 51 candidates in the fray, including 26 women. The BJP has nominated eight women, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded six and the Congress five.In the February assembly elections, the BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, returning to power in Delhi after 27 years and ending the AAP government. Of the 12 wards where bypolls are being held, nine were earlier represented by the BJP and three by AAP.
