Delhiites to vote on Sunday to choose who will head MCD

Delhiites on Sunday will vote to choose who will rule the capital's corporation amid AAP and BJP locked in a close fight while Congress is attempting to revive its political significance. The counting of votes will be on December 7.

While the BJP and the AAP have fielded 250 candidates each, Congress is contesting in 247 seats. Half of the 250 seats have been reserved for women.

The campaign for the civic polls, which comes after the Centre merged three corporations in April this year, saw intense battle over the functioning of the BJP-ruled corporation. While BJP promises to continue its good work, AAP is picking holes and offering to overhaul the way the civic body functions.

Also Read | MCD polls: AAP says people want honest party like it in civic body

While BJP leaders dubbed AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal "kattar beiman" (hardcore corrupt), AAP described the BJP as a "video-making company".

The AAP has centred its campaign over waste management, slamming the BJP for turning the capital city into a "mound of garbage" despite being in power in the MCD for 15 years. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday exuded confidence that people will "choose Arvind Kejriwal for MCD to make Delhi clean and beautiful".

While BJP unleashed a host of central leaders, including Chief Ministers, to campaign for the civic polls and made it a point to highlight Narendra Modi as its mascot, AAP highlighted Kejriwal.

AAP, which was concentrating on Gujarat polls, had to realign its strategy as the dates of the civic polls were announced. AAP leaders claimed that the municipal polls were scheduled so as to keep them tied to Delhi, as the BJP was finding it difficult in Gujarat.

During the campaign, AAP has organised 14,862 jan samvads, nukkad sabhas, door-to-door campaigns, padayatras and nukkad nataks while the BJP has organised over 1,000 roadshows, street-corner meetings, door-to-door campaigns with top party leaders. BJP fielded 19 Union ministers, six chief ministers of six states, two deputy chief ministers and 31 MPs for the campaign.

The results are keenly watched as inability to win the municipal polls would dent AAP’s future prospects, as it would also put a brake on AAP’s confidence to break new grounds.

Also Read | Delhi govt schools to remain closed on December 3 for MCD polls preparation

AAP's belief is that it can ride to success on Kejriwal and his government's achievements on power and water front as well as facilities like mohalla clinics. However, it is to be seen how the aggressive BJP campaign based on CBI cases on excise policy and other cases impacted the AAP.

Though in an aggressive mode against AAP, Congress leaders concede that the AAP now has an edge and they fear that they would be further relegated to insignificance in the capital's political landscape where it has not managed to win a single Assembly or Lok Sabha seat since 2014.

The three municipal corporations were unified earlier this year, leading to postponement of the elections in April. In the 2017 polls, BJP won 64 out of 104 seats in North Delhi, 70 out of 104 in South Delhi and 47 out of 64 in East while AAP had 21, 16 and 12 respectively. Congress had 16, 12 and three seats respectively. Altogether, BJP won 181, AAP 49 and Congress 31.