Voting for MCD bypolls in 12 wards begins

New Delhi: Voting for bypolls in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)began on Sunday morning amid tight security.

The voting will end at 5.30 pm.

The polls are expected to reveal the voters' mood in the national capital after a comprehensive victory of the BJP in the assembly election earlier this year.

The State Election Commission has set up 580 booths across 143 polling locations for the 12 bypolls. A total of 2,320 election commission personnel, 580 Home Guards and 2,265 other personnel, along with 13 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces are facilitating the electoral exercise.

The fate of 51 candidates, including 26 women, will be decided at the ballot.

The BJP has fielded the highest number of women candidates (8), followed by AAP (6) and Congress (5). The election is being closely observed as AAP and the BJP will take on each other again after the assembly polls held in February.

The saffron party won 48 out of the 70 constituencies and returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, ousting AAP. Of the 12 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) wards, nine were earlier held by the BJP and three by AAP.