<p>When all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh and four other states where Assembly polls are going on, the electoral temperature is slowly shooting up in the national capital too -- the elections to three municipal corporations are round the corner.</p>.<p>The BJP rules the three municipal corporations -- East Delhi, South Delhi and North Delhi -- while the AAP now believes that it can win the civic bodies, riding on Arvind Kejriwal and his government's achievements on power and water front as well as facilities like mohalla clinics. Civic polls are likely to be held in April. </p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Privately, Congress leaders too 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.</p>.<p>AAP's confidence could be gauged from the rush and lobbying for seats. If one walks through any lane in Kishan Kunj municipal ward in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, they would find posters of hopefuls from AAP and BJP even before the schedule for the elections, possibly in April, are announced.</p>.<p>There are around a dozen hopefuls from AAP alone for this ward and all have put up posters, some even rented office space and have started campaigning even before the party has announced candidates. One of the candidates even distributed pamphlets levelling corruption allegations against the sitting councillor.</p>.<p>This is the scene in other wards too in all the three municipal corporations.</p>.<p>Aspirants in the BJP are also not lagging behind -- some of them have already posted posters in places of attraction. BJP believes that it could meet the AAP challenge by highlighting its work in the last five years.</p>.<p>“AAP appears to have an edge in the polls. What do people want? Affordable water and power? They have given that. Nothing else matters. It is tough for us but we will fight,” a local Congress leader said.</p>.<p>AAP has been systematically stepping up its campaign on the functioning of the BJP-ruled municipalities. It has appointed young MLA and Kejriwal confidante Durgesh Pathak as in-charge.</p>.<p>BJP, on the other hand, is countering the AAP publicity onslaught with its state leaders taking the lead. However, the recurring strikes of sanitation workers may have an impact on the BJP’s prospects while the AAP is also highlighting corruption.</p>.<p>Though on the decline, Congress has not lost hope and has started early. Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar has initiated a process to decide on candidates early and asked people to submit their applications so that a fast decision is taken allowing nominees to start campaigning. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>When all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh and four other states where Assembly polls are going on, the electoral temperature is slowly shooting up in the national capital too -- the elections to three municipal corporations are round the corner.</p>.<p>The BJP rules the three municipal corporations -- East Delhi, South Delhi and North Delhi -- while the AAP now believes that it can win the civic bodies, riding on Arvind Kejriwal and his government's achievements on power and water front as well as facilities like mohalla clinics. Civic polls are likely to be held in April. </p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Privately, Congress leaders too 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.</p>.<p>AAP's confidence could be gauged from the rush and lobbying for seats. If one walks through any lane in Kishan Kunj municipal ward in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, they would find posters of hopefuls from AAP and BJP even before the schedule for the elections, possibly in April, are announced.</p>.<p>There are around a dozen hopefuls from AAP alone for this ward and all have put up posters, some even rented office space and have started campaigning even before the party has announced candidates. One of the candidates even distributed pamphlets levelling corruption allegations against the sitting councillor.</p>.<p>This is the scene in other wards too in all the three municipal corporations.</p>.<p>Aspirants in the BJP are also not lagging behind -- some of them have already posted posters in places of attraction. BJP believes that it could meet the AAP challenge by highlighting its work in the last five years.</p>.<p>“AAP appears to have an edge in the polls. What do people want? Affordable water and power? They have given that. Nothing else matters. It is tough for us but we will fight,” a local Congress leader said.</p>.<p>AAP has been systematically stepping up its campaign on the functioning of the BJP-ruled municipalities. It has appointed young MLA and Kejriwal confidante Durgesh Pathak as in-charge.</p>.<p>BJP, on the other hand, is countering the AAP publicity onslaught with its state leaders taking the lead. However, the recurring strikes of sanitation workers may have an impact on the BJP’s prospects while the AAP is also highlighting corruption.</p>.<p>Though on the decline, Congress has not lost hope and has started early. Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar has initiated a process to decide on candidates early and asked people to submit their applications so that a fast decision is taken allowing nominees to start campaigning. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
