New Delhi:- The BJP has performed brilliantly in the Delhi MCD by-elections by winning seven out of 12 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won three seats and the Congress has also managed to open its account with one seat. The All India Forward Bloc has also won one seat. BJP's Suman Kumar Gupta defeated AAP candidate Harsh Sharma from the Chandni Chowk seat by a margin of 1,182 votes.
The saffron party also won easily from Shalimar Bagh B ward, where Anita Jain defeated AAP's Babita Rana by a margin of over 10,000 votes. The counting of votes for the 12 wards for the MCD by-elections began at 8 am at 10 counting centres in Delhi amid tight security.
AAP won Mundka and Dakshinpuri wards, while Congress's Suresh Chaudhary defeated BJP's Subhajit Gautam in Sangam Vihar A ward. Chaudhary got 12,766 votes while his opponent got 9,138 votes. All India Forward Bloc candidate Mohammad Imran won the Chandni Mahal seat by defeating AAP's Mudassar Usman by a margin of 4,692 votes.
The BJP was leading in Dichaon Kalan, Greater Kailash, Shalimar Bagh B wards, while early trends showed the Aam Aadmi Party leading in Narena ward. Of the 12 wards where voting took place on November 30, nine were previously with the BJP and the rest were with the AAP.
The State Election Commission, Delhi has set up 10 counting centres at Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gol Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali. After voting, the strong rooms containing the EVMs were secured with adequate security measures, including 24-hour CCTV surveillance and deployment of paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel. Around 1,800 personnel of Delhi Police and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed.
Around 700 personnel have been deployed for the counting of votes, and facilities have been provided for the candidates and their authorized counting agents. The voting percentage in the by-elections was 38.51 as against 50.47 per cent in the MCD elections held for 250 wards in 2022. All eyes are particularly on the results of Shalimar Bagh B and Dwarka B wards.
Shalimar Bagh B ward was vacant after BJP councillor Rekha Gupta won the assembly elections in February and became the Chief Minister of Delhi. BJP MP from West Delhi Kamaljit Sehrawat had earlier held Dwarka B ward.