Delhi MCD bypolls: BJP, AAP win 2 wards each, Congress opens account; counting underway

New Delhi: BJP and AAP won two wards each, while Congress and All India Forward Bloc emerged victorious in one ward each, even as counting for the remaining wards was underway.

The counting of votes for the MCD bypolls to 12 wards began at 8 am, amid tight security at 10 counting centres in Delhi.

BJP's Suman Kumar Gupta defeated Aam Aadmi Party candidate Harsh Sharma by a margin of 1,182 votes. The saffron party also comfortably won the Shalimar Bagh B ward, with Anita Jain defeating AAP's Babita Rana by a margin of over 10,000 votes.

The Shalimar Bagh B ward was vacated after sitting BJP councillor Rekha Gupta won the assembly polls in February and became Delhi's chief minister.

AAP won the Mundka and Dakshinpuri wards, while Congress' Suresh Choudhary won the Sangam Vihar A ward by defeating BJP's Subhajeet Gautam.

Choudhary polled in 12,766 votes while his opponent managed to get 9,138 votes.

All India Forward Bloc candidate Mohd Imran won the Chandni Mahal seat by defeating AAP's Mudassar Usman by a margin of 4,692 votes.

The BJP was leading in Dichaon Kalan and Greater Kailash, while AAP was ahead in the Naraina ward in the initial trends.

Of the 12 wards where voting was held on November 30, nine were earlier held by the BJP and the remaining by AAP.

The State Election Commission, Delhi, has set up 10 counting centres at Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali.

The strong rooms where the EVMs are stored after polling were secured with adequate security measures, including round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and the deployment of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel.

Nearly 1,800 Delhi Police personnel and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed.

Around 700 personnel have been deployed for counting, and facilities have been provided for the candidates and their authorised counting agents, it added.

The vote percentage in the bypolls was 38.51 per cent as compared to 50.47 per cent in the MCD elections held for 250 wards in 2022.