Delhi MCD bypolls: Counting of votes begins in 12 wards

New Delhi: The counting of votes for MCD bypolls to 12 wards began on Wednesday, amid tight security at 10 counting centres in Delhi.

Of the 12 wards where voting was held on November 30, nine were earlier held by the BJP and the remaining by AAP.

The State Election Commission, Delhi, has made all arrangements for vote counting. Ten counting centres have been set up at Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali.

Each centre will handle counting for specific wards, with strong room facilities and secure entry and exit protocols, the Commission said in a statement.

The strong rooms where the EVMs are stored after polling were secured with adequate security measures, including round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and the deployment of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel.

Nearly 1,800 Delhi Police personnel and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed.

Around 700 personnel have been deployed for counting, and facilities have been provided for the candidates and their authorised counting agents, it added.

The vote percentage in the bypolls was 38.51 per cent as compared to 50.47 per cent in the MCD elections held for 250 wards in 2022.

All eyes will be especially fixed on the results of Shalimar Bagh B and Dwarka B wards.

The Shalimar Bagh B ward was vacated after sitting BJP councillor Rekha Gupta won the assembly polls in February and became Delhi's chief minister.

Kamaljeet Sehrawat, BJP MP from West Delhi, earlier held the Dwarka B ward.