NEW DELHI: Over 2.4 lakh people will vote on Sunday in five municipal wards. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party, while BJP had senior members like Bhupendra Yadav and North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari on the stump. With Congress also putting its weight behind its candidates, all parties are determined on a good show ahead of full municipal polls next year.
The bypolls in Shalimar Bagh, Rohini-C, Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri and Chauhan Bagar were necessitated by three sitting councillors being elected MLAs in February last year and the deaths of two incumbents. Four of the five seats were held by AAP and one by BJP. A total of 26 candidates are in the fray, including three from Bahujan Samaj Party and eight independents. The polling time is from 7.30am to 5.30pm, the last hour reserved for Covid-positive voters and those who register higher than normal body temperature during the screening at the 327 polling booths.
Sandeep Mishra, secretary, Delhi State Election Commission, advised electors to wear masks and gloves. “Masks will be provided to those who come to the polling booths without them,” said Mishra. “The body temperature of the voters will be checked at all the booths, and Covid-appropriate behaviour will be enforced.”
A pitched political battle peppered with allegations and counter-allegations marked the run-up to the byelections. While Kejriwal accused BJP of “putting the municipal corporations in a shambles”, BJP Rajya Sabha member Yadav claimed that “Kejriwal government’s way of functioning has stalled developmental activities in Delhi”. Congress’s Delhi in-charge, Shakti Singh Gohil, for his part, claimed that people were fed up with AAP and BJP and wanted Congress back. Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar claimed the party would put up a spectacular performance in the five seats.
The Shalimar Bagh ward of North Delhi Municipal Corporation fell vacant due to the death of the sitting councillor, Renu Jaju. Around 45,070 voters there will have the options of pressing the button on the EVM next to the names of Surbhi Jaju (BJP), Sunita Mishra (AAP) and Mamata (Congress), among others. The ward has a preponderance of Punjabi and trader communities. Jaju of BJP had won ward in 2017 polls with a margin of 3,367 votes.
The second ward in the north corporation going to the polls is the Rohini C seat reserved for SC. The contenders there are Om Prakash (BSP), Memwati Barwala (Congress), Jai Prakash (BJP) and Ram Chander (AAP). The seat fell vacant when the sitting BSP councillor switched over to AAP and got elected as MLA in the 2020 assembly elections.
In East Delhi, Trilokpuri, another SC reserved seat, will see Manoj Kumar (BSP), Om Prakash (BJP), Bal Kishan (Congress) and Vijay Kumar (AAP) vying for the ward, which mostly has JJ clusters and resettlement colonies. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, AAP candidate Rohit Mahrolia won in 2017 elections, but he vacated it after a victorious run in the 2020 assembly polls. Kalyanpuri and Chauhan Bagar wards are also likely to witness tough competitions.
The elections are significant for all the three major parties. While AAP wants to oust BJP from power in the three corporations next year, BJP would like to retain power and Congress is desperate to make a comeback.