MCD bypolls: Campaigning ends; voting on Nov 30

New Delhi: The campaigning for the November 30 bypolls to 12 MCD wards concluded on Friday with prominent BJP and AAP leaders holding roadshows and public meetings to woo voters.

The BJP wrapped up its campaigning for all 12 wards, featuring vibrant roadshows, and held a meeting of all the candidates’ election coordinators at the state office.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that the public mood is "clearly shifting" towards the party due to the several initiatives of the Rekha Gupta-led government, such as sewer-cleaning work, improving electricity and water supply during summer, waiving penalties on water bills, cleaning the Yamuna river, excellent arrangements during Chhath Puja, better road maintenance, and improvements in the DTC bus services.

Hitting out at the Aam Aadmi Party, he said that Arvind Kejriwal, who travels across the country campaigning for his party, being absent from the Delhi Municipal Corporation by-election campaign is a silent “pre-acceptance of defeat”.

Chief Minister Gupta participated in the roadshows at Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar, and Shalimar Bagh for candidates — Suman Kumar Gupta, Neelam Asija, and Anita Jain — and appealed to voters to choose the BJP.

MP Praveen Khandelwal and Delhi ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Ravinder Indraj also joined various roadshows.

During the campaign, the chief minister said there is new enthusiasm among people and BJP workers, and the party will win most wards.

She claimed the people of Delhi knew very well that this by-election would not affect the power equation of the municipal corporation, but even then, they want to “use this opportunity to give the BJP a clear majority” in the corporation.

Vinod Nagar ward candidate Sarla Choudhary concluded her campaign with a roadshow along with Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra.

Malhotra said that although the ward has been a BJP stronghold, this time, even AAP voters were angry because Arvind Kejriwal has fielded “a corrupt woman leader who has been jailed” and claimed that they will vote for the BJP’s “clean-image” candidate.

AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Atishi held the fort for the party in multiple wards.

Former Delhi chief minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi assembly, Atishi, led roadshows in Naraina Ward 139 and Shalimar Bagh Ward 56, joined by former MLA and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak, to mobilise support for the party's candidates.

The LoP said residents across the capital are increasingly disillusioned with the Rekha Gupta government and now “regret bringing the BJP to power”.

Atishi told voters that the MCD bypolls have become a moment of course correction, with people determined to “wipe out the BJP” and return to Arvind Kejriwal’s model of governance.

Singh warned that public anger against the BJP has peaked, with residents determined to punish the government in the by-elections.

Campaigning alongside Pathak during a roadshow in Naraina Ward 139, he urged voters to back AAP candidate Rajan Arora and said Delhiites, exhausted by nine months of BJP rule, are ready to give AAP victory in all 12 wards.

Voting for the bypolls will be held in all 12 wards from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on November 30, with counting of votes slated for December 3.