MCD Elections 2022: The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP eyes to dethrone the BJP from the MCD which it has been ruling since 2007.
Delhi on Sunday voted to elect who controls the national capital’s powerful civic body - Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The election witnessed a three-cornered contest between the AAP, the BJP and the Congress.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP eyes to dethrone the BJP from the MCD which it has been ruling since 2007. On the other hand, the Congress, which has suffered a back-to-back drubbing in the national capital since 2015 in parliamentary, assembly and municipal corporations polls, is trying to redeem itself with a notable performance this time.
Here are key points you should know about the MCD polls 2022:
Around 50 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5:30 pm in the high-stakes election. However, the polling percentage is likely to go up since turnout from several polling stations is yet to be recorded. The previous civic body polls in 2017 had recorded 53 per cent voting.
The poll results will decide the fate of 1,349 candidates in fray across 250 wards of the national capital. Over 1.45 crore electors were eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections.
The BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party accused each other of violating model code of conduct during voting. The BJP alleged that recorded messages of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealing people to vote for the AAP were received by lakhs of people on the day of polling. On the other hand, AAP candidate from Pushp Vihar in South Delhi, Arun Nawariya alleged BJP workers distributed money to influence voters.
In civic body polls in Delhi in 2017, around 53.5 per cent votes were polled. The BJP had trounced the AAP and Congress, winning 181 of the 270 wards on which votes were polled. The AAP had won in 48 wards and Congress in 30 wards. This year, the three municipal corporations were unified into MCD and the number of wards were reduced to 250.
In 2011, the then CM Sheila Dikshit divided the Municipal Corporation of Delhi into three parts -- North, East and South Delhi Municipal Corporations to weaken the hold of the saffron party. Despite this, the BJP came to power in all the three corporations defeating the Congress in the MCD polls of 2012.
In the last elections held in 2017, a big change occurred in the powers of the Centre and Delhi wherein the BJP-led NDA coalition government with Narendra Modi becoming the Prime Minister and Arvind Kejriwal serving as the CM with a thumping and historic majority.
In 2022, the BJP wants to prove that it remains the first choice of people in the municipal elections.
If the BJP wins, it will enthuse the BJP cadre and will surely affect the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At present, all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi are held by the BJP. On the other hand, for the AAP, winning the MCD elections is being considered crucial in view of their future politics.
The AAP, which has aspirations of expansion in the national politics, needs a booster to win the MCD elections as its victory will increase Kejriwal`s stature in the national politics and his acceptance among the opposition parties.
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 "MCD Elections 2022: Polling in AAP-BJP-Congress prestige battle concludes.")
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