Delhi MCD Bypolls in 12 Wards Tomorrow; 51 Candidates in Fray as BJP, AAP Test Voter Mood

Polling for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by-elections in 12 wards will be held on Sunday from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, with 51 candidates contesting. Results will be declared on December 3. The outcome is expected to signal voter sentiment after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong showing in the Assembly elections earlier this year.

According to the Delhi State Election Commission, voting will take place at 580 booths across 143 polling stations. The bypolls cover the wards of Greater Kailash, Shalimar Bagh B, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Chandni Mahal, Dichaon Kalan, Naraina, Sangam Vihar A, Dakshin Puri, Mundka, Vinod Nagar and Dwarka B.

Eleven seats fell vacant after their councillors were elected to the Delhi Assembly, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the former representative of Shalimar Bagh B. The Dwarka B seat has been vacant since 2024, after its councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected to Parliament from West Delhi.

Among the 51 candidates, 26 are women. The BJP has fielded eight women, AAP six, and the Congress five. Of the 12 wards, the BJP previously held nine, while AAP held Chandni Chowk, Dakshinpuri and Chandni Mahal. The MCD currently comprises 116 BJP councillors, 98 from AAP, 15 from the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), eight from the Congress, and one independent. In the Chief Minister’s former ward, the BJP’s Anita Jain faces AAP’s Babita Ahlawat.

Both major parties have expressed confidence ahead of polling. “BJP is all prepared and confident for tomorrow’s MCD bypolls… We expect a grand win,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
AAP leaders said they expect a majority, citing “clear dissatisfaction with BJP” and a “steep decline in civic services” over the past nine months.

The AAP, however, suffered a setback on Saturday when its former two-time MLA Rajesh Gupta joined the BJP, alleging he was not valued in the party. Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said Gupta had sought a councillor ticket for his wife, which the party could not grant.

The Congress is also eyeing gains. DPCC president Devender Yadav said workers had campaigned intensively and that voters were disillusioned with both the BJP and AAP.

To facilitate polling, transport services will begin early. DTC buses will start at 3 am, and Delhi Metro services will operate from 4 am on both polling and counting days. Night bus services on 28 routes will continue, and the last metro will leave terminals at 11.30 pm on polling day.

Voters can use the “Nigam Chunav Delhi” mobile app for real-time queue updates, polling booth locations, candidate information, and electoral roll searches. The app also provides wheelchair access, assistants, and pick-and-drop services.

An SEC official said the Voter Information Slip has been updated with a new QR code for BLO authentication, and home voting has been extended to disabled voters and those above 80 to ensure “dignity and comfort” during voting.