MCD polls: Dust settles on high-pitched campaign

Finally, the high-voltage campaigning for Delhi municipal elections came to an end on Friday. Voting for 272 seats of the three municipal corporations will be held on Sunday.

The last day witnessed continuous campaigns by big leaders of main political parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress in a last bid attempt to woo the voters through public meetings, road shows, and also the road to road canvassing.

On Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Delhi people would put their children's lives at risk if they voted for BJP in the MCD polls, making a stinging attack in the last lap of campaigning of the civic elections.

"If you vote for the BJP and if your child falls prey to Chikunngya or Dengue, you are responsible for it. I can offer free treatment to your child in (the Delhi government) hospitals, but what led to him contracting dengue?," said Kerjiwal.

He also stated if someone fell ill, then the reason would be that they voted the saffron party which is synonymous to Chikhungunya, malaria, dengue and garbage.

Making a fervent appeal to vote for an "honest Aam Aadmi Party", the Chief Minister said, "My party will clean Delhi in a year and eradicate vector-borne diseases in the next three years."

Also, Kejriwal accused the BJP of trying to cover up its corruption in the three municipal corporations by projecting the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the civic polls.

"The hope of BJP is only Narendra Modi through which the party wants to cover up its corruption and the poor sanitation condition," marked Kejriwal.

He also claimed that BJP and Congress workers were disrupting electricity and water supply in the national capital to tarnish the AAP government's image ahead of April 23 civic polls.

Referring to the reports of theft of oil from transformers, Kejriwal said, "BJP and Congress workers are stealing oil from the transformers. At places, they take away pipe valves to disrupt water supply. In Sangam Vihar they threw cement bags into the sewers to choke them."

Also, he mentioned that power and water troubles are likely to continue until Sunday.

On Tuesday, private power distribution company BSES alleged that oil was stolen from at least 70 of its transformers, causing a power outage in different parts of the capital.

Coming to the saffron party, like the rest, Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari had a hectic campaign day. His day started by addressing a public meeting at Burari followed by a road show at Badli and Padyatra with the local candidate at Alipur. He also held meetings in other places and concluded his

Vijay Vikas Yatra election campaign with intensive campaigning in Mehruali District's Mehruali and Saidulajab wards.

Tiwari said, "At Mehrauli that during this MCD election campaign I have come in touch with lakhs of people and in their eyes I could see their disenchantment with Arvind Kejriwal's government for failing them on development and support for Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi's development-oriented politics on the basis of which I am confident of BJP's victory."

He also stated that before a politician, he is an artist and also an emotional person. "I assure the people of Delhi that BJP will fulfill each promise of its Election Sankalp Patra," added Tiwari.

Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday joined a road show and also addressed a public meeting with Pradesh BJP Vice President Shri Rajiv Babbar and other workers.

He said, "MCDs in Delhi are doing humanitarian services through dispensaries and maternity homes and we will try to help them upgrade their services through Union Health Ministry."

The Congress proclaimed that the party will win over 200 seats in the civic body polls scheduled on Sunday.

"As per an internal survey conducted with a sample size of 52,000 voters in 13,000 polling booths, Congress will win 208 wards among a total of 272 in three municipal corporations," said Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken in a press conference.

Maken hit out at BJP and AAP by accusing them of running a 'negative' campaign instead of suggesting solutions to the problems faced by the people.

Also, in a major change of events, on Friday, this party expelled Barkha Singh, a day after she resigned from all party posts raising questions over the leadership of Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken.

The action was taken by state unit's Disciplinary Committee headed by former Minister Narendra Nath. The committee found Singh undertaking anti-party activities.

"Disciplinary Committee of the DPCC in its meeting has unanimously decided to expel Barkha Singh for a period of six years from the party for undertaking anti-party activities just before the MCD elections," read the party statement.

While BJP, AAP, and Congress are major players, Swaraj India, a party floated by former AAP leaders, has also made sustained efforts to get its message across in its debut election. Other parties in the fray include Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Janata Dal-United, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Shiv Sena.

An electorate of over 1.32 crore will choose from 2,537 candidates in the fray for NDMC and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 seats each) and East Delhi Municipal Congress (64 seats). The results will be declared on April 26.