Vote counting for the MCD bypolls commenced at 8 am, under tight security at ten counting centers across Delhi. These civic body bypolls served as a crucial test for the BJP, marking its first major electoral challenge since taking power in Delhi in February.
BJP’s Suman Kumar Gupta triumphed over Aam Aadmi Party candidate Harsh Sharma by a margin of 1,182 votes.
The saffron party also secured a decisive win in the Shalimar Bagh B ward, with Anita Jain defeating AAP’s Babita Rana by over 10,000 votes.
This ward was previously vacated after sitting BJP councillor Rekha Gupta won the assembly elections in February and subsequently became the Delhi Chief Minister.
AAP claimed the Mundka and Dakshinpuri wards, while Congress’s Suresh Choudhary conquered the Sangam Vihar A ward, defeating BJP’s Subhajeet Gautam.
Choudhary received 12,766 votes compared to his opponent’s 9,138 votes. BJP’s Veena Asija had a close contest against AAP’s Seema Goyal but ultimately won the Ashok Vihar ward by a margin of 405 votes.
All India Forward Bloc candidate Mohd Imran won the Chandni Mahal seat, defeating AAP’s Mudassar Usman by 4,692 votes.
The BJP further claimed victories in the Dichaon Kalan and Greater Kailash wards, as well as the Dwarka-B ward, previously held by Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who is now a BJP MP.
Manisha Rani from the BJP won the Dwarka-B ward by a substantial margin of 9,100 votes against AAP’s Raj Bala. AAP’s Rajan Arora edged past BJP’s Chandrakanta Shivani in the Naraina seat by just 148 votes. Out of the 12 wards voting in the bypolls on November 30, nine were previously held by the BJP and the remaining by AAP.
The State Election Commission of Delhi established ten counting centers, situated at Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar, and Mandawali.
Strong rooms housing the EVMs post-polling were fortified with stringent security measures, including continuous CCTV surveillance along with the deployment of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel.
The voter turnout for the bypolls was 38.51%, in contrast to 50.47% during the MCD elections held for 250 wards in 2022.
