BJP wins big in MCD Ward Committee election, secures 7 of 12 zones

The Bhartiya Janata Party emerges victorious in the Delhi MCD Ward Committee elections. The party won 7 out of the 12 zones. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party won 5 ward committees.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) ward committee polls commenced at the agency headquarters on Wednesday, accompanied by heavy security deployment. These long-pending elections are being held for the first time since the unification of the MCD in 2022.

Due to a political deadlock between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the polls have faced delays and have remained sub judice until now.

Initially, AAP was leading in four zones, while the BJP had secured victories in only three. Notably, AAP has won two of the three zones—City SP, Karol Bagh, and West Zone—unopposed, as the BJP did not file nominations after it fell short of the minimum required number of elected councillors.

Until late Tuesday, there was confusion regarding the timely execution of the polls, with Mayor Shelly Oberoi having refused to appoint presiding officers.

However, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has appointed all MCD Zone Deputy Commissioners to act as presiding officers, directing that elections be conducted per the schedule.

THE DELAY IN POLLS

The scheduling of the MCD polls is followed by a significant delay, with the Supreme Court’s verdict on August 5 clearing the path for elections that had been postponed for approximately 19 months. The ruling stated that the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor could solely nominate the 10 aldermen without consulting the Delhi government.

Shortly thereafter, the MCD announced the election on August 28, with nominations set to be filed by August 30. In her letter to the MCD Commissioner on Tuesday, Mayor Oberoi argued that the election schedule deprived many eligible councillors of their legal right to file nominations, excluding others entirely from the process.

During this election, councillors vote to elect a chairman and deputy chairman for 10 of the 12 zonal-level ward committees and one member each for the standing committee, which is the MCD's highest decision-making body. Polls for the formation of ward committees in two zones—City SP and Keshav Puram—have not taken place, as the BJP and AAP did not submit nominations.

MCD zones, including Rohini, Najafgarh, West, South, and Central, will vote between 10 am and 4 pm at the agency headquarters in the Hansraj Gupta Auditorium. The remaining five zones—Karol Bagh, Shahdara South, Shahdara North, Civil Lines, and Narela—are casting their votes simultaneously in the Satya Narayan Bansal Auditorium on the second floor.

The election is being conducted through a secret ballot in accordance with the Delhi Municipal Corporation Regulations, 1958. Councillors from both parties have expressed hope for a smooth election process.