Delhi's Civic Battle Heats Up As BJP And AAP Announce MCD Bypoll Candidates

The stage is set for a high-stakes civic showdown in the national capital as both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday unveiled their candidates for the upcoming by-elections to 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The polls will be held on November 30, with results to be declared on December 3, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).

The bypolls, spread across wards including Mundka, Shalimar Bagh-B, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Dwarka-B, Dakshinpuri, and Greater Kailash, have become a political flashpoint for the two rivals battling to consolidate control over the MCD ahead of the next mayoral race.

Six of the 12 wards are in the general category, five are reserved for women, and one for Scheduled Castes. The vacancies emerged after nine BJP and three AAP councillors were elected MPs or MLAs earlier this year.

BJP Eyes "One-Sided Win"

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva released the party's candidate list on Sunday, asserting confidence in a decisive victory.

"Our candidates have been selected on merit and winnability. People have seen the work done under the triple-engine government of BJP at the Centre, state, and MCD, and they will vote accordingly," Sachdeva said, claiming the BJP would sweep the bypolls "with a one-sided result."

According to the BJP list, Jaypal Singh Thakar will contest from Mundka, Anita Jain from Shalimar Bagh-B, Meena Aggarwal from Ashok Vihar, Sushma Kumar Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Sunil Sharma from Chandni Mahal, Manisha Rajpawat Sehrawat from Dwarka-B, Rekha Rani from Dichaon Kalan, Dr Chandrakanta Shivani from Naraina, Roshni Raj from Dakshinpuri, Subrajeet Gautam from Sangam Vihar-A, Anjum Mandal from Greater Kailash, and Sarla Chaudhary from Vinod Nagar.

AAP Bets On Grassroots Cadre

The Aam Aadmi Party was first to declare its slate earlier in the day, emphasising loyalty and local connect over political stature. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj said the party's political affairs committee had decided to prioritise grassroots workers over "parachute candidates."

"The committee has decided to reward grassroots workers who have consistently worked for Delhi's people," Bharadwaj said. "Delhiites, troubled by pollution and filth, will teach BJP a lesson by ensuring AAP's victory in every ward," he added.

AAP's list includes Anil Lakra (Mundka), Babita Ahlawat (Shalimar Bagh-B), Seema Vikas Goyal (Ashok Vihar), Harsh Sharma (Chandni Chowk), Muddasir Usman Qureshi (Chandni Mahal), Rajbala Sehrawat (Dwarka-B), Keshav Chauhan (Dichaon Kalan), Rajan Arora (Naraina), Ram Swaroop Kanojia (Dakshinpuri), Anuj Sharma (Sangam Vihar-A), Eeshna Gupta (Greater Kailash), and Geeta Rawat (Vinod Nagar).

AAP's Leader of Opposition in the MCD house, Ankush Narang, said the candidates "will meet people's expectations with honesty and dedication," promising to advance Delhi's "development, cleanliness, and public service agenda."

Capital's Civic Stakes

The MCD bypolls carry significant political weight in Delhi's civic landscape. After the AAP ended BJP's 15-year rule in the 2022 MCD elections, BJP regained control earlier this year through cross-voting in the mayoral election.

Currently, BJP holds 115 seats, AAP 99, the newly formed Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) has 16, and Congress eight in the 238-member house. The November 30 outcome could influence not just the MCD balance but also the mood ahead of the next mayoral race.

Election Machinery In Motion

The State Election Commission has appointed district election officers, returning officers, and 11 election observers to oversee the process, including expenditure monitoring.

The commission has also rolled out a 'Nigam Chunav Delhi' mobile app to help voters access details about polling stations, candidates, and election updates in real time.

With the BJP banking on its governance record and AAP betting on its grassroots army, Delhi's civic battlefield is once again set for a heated face-off, this time, ward by ward.