MCD polls: Voting in thirteen wards of Delhi underway

New Delhi: Voting for civil by-polls in thirteen wards across three Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) areas is currently underway.

The polling started at 8 am and would end at 5 pm.

While nine wards have remained unrepresented since December 2013, the rest are lying vacant since February 2015. Nine of these 13 former councilors are now AAP legislators and the other four became legislators on BJP tickets in 2013, but lost in 2015.

Seven wards in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, four in North Delhi Municipal Corporation and two in East Delhi Municipal Corporation are undergoing polling today.

The polls would witness a three-way contest between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

The results of the by-polls would be declared on May 17.

All the three major political parties have staked claim to win the by-polls.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has formed two teams to ensure free and fair polling in the civic by-polls. The commission has set up 695 polling booths in the 13 wards. The commission has also enlisted 2,500 personnel for poll duty.

The BJP, which has a strong hold over the civic bodies since 2007, is trying to beat the anti-incumbency factor by targeting the AAP Government.

The AAP, contesting the municipal elections for the first time, claimed it would win all the 13 seats.

The Congress, the principal opposition in all three civic bodies, however claimed both the BJP and AAP faced anti-incumbency.