MCD bypoll: Triangular contest on cards; BJP, AAP, Congress file nominations for all 12 wards

New Delhi: A triangular contest is on cards for the November 30 bypolls to 12 MCD wards, as candidates of all three major parties -- the BJP, AAP and Congress -- filed their nominations on Monday.

The BJP candidates filed their nominations with much fanfare after performing a 'havan' and taking out roadshows joined by senior leaders, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union minister Harsh Malhotra, among others.

The chief minister, ministers, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh held a meeting at the party office after the nominations to discuss poll preparations and campaigning, party leaders said.

Gupta participated in the 'havan' and attended the roadshows of BJP candidates from Shalimar Bagh B, Anita Jain, and Veena Asija from Ashok Vihar.

Gupta represented the Shalimar Bagh B ward before being elected as an MLA and becoming the chief minister after the BJP won the Assembly polls in February this year.

The previous governments in Delhi indulged in politics for which development of the municipal wards took a backseat, she alleged.

"We want every ward in Delhi to be be neat and clean. We will contest all the 12 wards with the blessings and affection of the people for the goal of public service," she said.

The chief minister appealed to the people of Delhi to vote in large numbers for the BJP candidates, expressing hope for a "stellar performance" in the bypolls.

The BJP, AAP and Congress are contesting all the 12 wards, of which nine were previously held by the saffron party and the remaining three by the AAP.

The bypolls are dominated by female candidates with the BJP fielding eight, AAP six and the Congress nine women nominees.

The AAP candidates for the bypolls filed their nominations on the final day of the process, and expressed confidence about their victory.

Rajan Arora, the party's candidate for the Naraina ward, was accompanied by former MLA Durgesh Pathak during the nomination filing process.

Other party candidates, including Anuj Sharma from Sangam Vihar A, and Geeta Rawat from Vinod Nagar, also filed their nominations accompanied by senior AAP leaders.

AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, who accompanied Rawat, said people will chose the path of honest politics and development by voting for the AAP.

Delhi BJP president Sachdeva said people will vote to ensure the party's victory and strengthen its resolve for "Badlo Dilli, Sanwaro Dilli" (change Delhi, beautify Delhi).

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra, accompanied Vinod Nagar candidate Sarla Chaudhary, while Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal joined Suman Gupta from Chandni Chowk and Sunil Sharma from Chandni Mahal.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Ravindra Indraj also joined the party nominees for the nomination filing process.

New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj accompanied BJP candidate Anjum Mandal from Greater Kailash, along with local MLA Shikha Roy.

West Delhi MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh joined the nomination processions of Dwarka B candidate Manisha Sehrawat and Dichaon Kalan nominee Rekha Rani.

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav urged the voters to vote for his party candidates to defeat both the BJP and AAP, and show a mirror to their "arrogance and deceitful politics".

"People of Delhi should vote keeping in mind the alarming pollution, worsening law and order, and the heaps of filth all around Delhi due to the failures of the BJP and AAP," he said.