MCD bypolls counting on Tuesday

New Delhi: Counting of votes polled during the May 15 MCD by-elections to 13 wards will be held on Tuesday, results of which are likely to have a bearing on the 2017 municipal elections.

The counting will begin at 8 AM at all the counting centres and Delhi State Election Commission has made necessary arrangements for it.

45.9 per cent of the 6,68,870 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the high-stake bypolls for the wards falling under three corporations - SDMC (7), NDMC (4) and EDMC (2), being billed as a litmus test for popularity of the AAP government.

Both BJP and Congress have exuded confidence of impressive performance at the civic hustings.

The 13 wards which went to the bypolls are Quamruddin Nagar, Shalimar Bagh (North), Ballimaran, Nawada, Vikas Nagar, Matiala, Nanakpura, Munirka, Bhati, Tehkhand, Khichripur, Jhilmil and Wazirpur.

The by-elections have been necessitated due to 13 councillors getting elected to Delhi Assembly in 2013 and 2015.

The Bhati ward had recorded the highest voting percentage of 64.36, while Matiala registered the lowest of 33 per cent, an election commission official said.

The MCD which was trifurcated in 2012, has been BJP-ruled for the last 10 years.

AAP, making its debut in the civic bypolls is hoping to replicate its Assembly polls magic that will set its ground for the 2017 MCD elections.

Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay had yesterday claimed that "based on grass-roots feedback, BJP is likely to be the top performer in today's civic by-polls."

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said "the enthusiastic manner in which the people of Delhi came out to vote clearly showed that they were unhappy with the AAP government and the BJP-ruled MCD."