MCD Election 2017: Voting for 272 wards of three municipal corporations will take place on April 23.
The civic body polls are being seen as a report card for the Aam Aadmi Party that has been ruling the state since 2015. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had recently lost the Rajouri Garden seat to the BJP in the by-elections. For the BJP, the civic body elections are a prestige issue - the party will be looking for a third consecutive term. The Congress, on the other hand, hopes to win its lost glory in the national capital. Ahead of the elections, the party witnessed a severe jolt when its former Delhi chief Arvinder Singh Lovely walked out of the party and joined the BJP.
AAP's entry in the municipal elections has transformed the bipolar election into an intense three-way contest. Also, Swaraj India - the new political party led by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan -
is making its political debut with the civic body elections.
Senior BJP leaders including national president Amit Shah will seek votes for the party in the civic polls in Delhi. Mr Shah will address a rally in southwest Delhi's Dwarka alongwith party leader and Bhojpuri film actor Ravi Kishan, on April 20, while Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hold election rallies in Kirari and Mustafabad, Delhi BJP media incharge Praveen Kapoor said.
Campaigning for the election will end on the evening of April 21.
The votes for 272 wards of three municipal corporations in Delhi will take place on April 23 and the results will be announced on April 26.
Over 272 councillors - NDMC and SMDC have 104 seats each, while the EDMC (64) seats - are trying their luck in the elections. Their fate will be decided on April 26 when the results will be out.
The municipal elections have many firsts too. This will be the first time that the voters will be able to use the "None of the Above" or NOTA option in the Delhi municipal elections.