BJP, AAP intensify campaign for November 30 MCD bypoll

New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) The BJP and AAP have intensified their campaign for the November 30 bypolls in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, with the ruling party focusing on its development works and the opposition flagging its rival's "unfulfilled" promises.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva chaired a meeting to review the party's poll preparedness with election coordinators from wards, ministers in charge, district unit presidents, parliamentarians and legislators.

The party's National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh directed party workers to spread awareness among the electorate about the benefits of projects and schemes initiated by Delhi's triple-engine government.

"While people show less enthusiasm in bye-elections, we must ensure that our voters exercise their franchise before lunch," he told the meeting that was also attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

In the afternoon, a Tridev Sammelan was held in support of BJP candidate Rohini Raj from the Dakshinpuri ward.

CM Gupta addressed the party's Tridev Sammelan in the Dichaon Kalan ward under the Najafgarh Assembly constituency, urging BJP workers to make efforts in ensuring a landslide victory for Rekha Rani.

She also campaigned in the Shalimar Bagh ward in the afternoon.

At the hustings, Gupta said that the BJP government in Delhi has given the city a new direction in development in just eight to nine months. It has also reduced pollution and is working to set up hospitals, schools, and colleges in rural Delhi.

Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra addressed an election meeting in Ashok Vihar, while party MP Bansuri Swaraj, MLA Shikha Roy, and former Speaker Adesh Gupta addressed an election meeting in the Greater Kailash Ward.

The Aam Aadmi Party also escalated its campaign, with its Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleging that the BJP government's "goondagardi" in the rural belt and unauthorised colonies has gone "out of control".

Addressing a public meeting in Pochanpur village in support of AAP's Dwarka B ward candidate Rajbala Sehrawat, he said, "They (BJP) file complaints themselves, send in bulldozers themselves, and then extort huge sums of money from people." "The people of Delhi believed the BJP would solve their problems, but it has done nothing," he claimed.

A total of 51 candidates are in the fray for the polls. PTI SLB NSD NSD