Political activity intensifies for high-stakes MCD bypolls

With the announcement of by-elections in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), political activity has intensified across the Capital, with the BJP, AAP and Congress gearing up for a high-stakes contest. The elections, scheduled for November 30, are being seen as a crucial test for the BJP, which will be facing its first electoral challenge since coming to power in the MCD after 27 years.

For the BJP, retaining control of its existing wards and expanding its base further has become a top priority. The party has begun active preparations, with Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva assigning Cabinet ministers as the in-charge of two wards each, supported by MLAs and senior leaders acting as election coordinators. District presidents were directed to hold meetings with mandal office-bearers and ward-level workers to strategise for the polls.

Sachdeva said the upcoming elections would reflect the public’s approval of the BJP’s “triple-engine government” in Delhi, comprising the Centre, state and the MCD. He highlighted the new momentum in the city’s development and maintenance efforts, citing the smooth organisation of the Kanwar and Chhath festivals, as well as the decision to implement artificial rainfall to curb Diwali pollution.

“People have seen how Delhi has changed in the past eight months, and they will vote overwhelmingly in favour of the BJP,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress is also preparing vigorously for the bypolls. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Devender Yadav on Thursday chaired a meeting at the party’s Rajiv Bhawan office with former candidates, block presidents and prospective nominees to finalise the roadmap for the elections.

Attacking the BJP, Yadav said the Rekha Gupta-led government had failed on all fronts in its eight-nine months in power and had not delivered on its promises. He alleged that the administration had done little to address major civic issues such as poor sanitation, broken roads and pollution, and compared it to the corrupt AAP government that preceded it.

“There is a strong anti-BJP sentiment amongst the Delhiites, and the Congress has a bright chance of winning with impressive margins, especially considering that all 12 wards have JJ clusters and when the BJP deployed bulldozers to demolish the slums to render lakhs of people homeless, only the Congress leaders rushed to their help, as the BJP and AAP leaders did not bother to visit those devastated, displaced poor people,” Yadav said.

He said the party would release ward-specific manifestoes and launch door-to-door campaigns focusing on issues like power and water shortages, demolition of JJ clusters and the unfulfilled promise of Rs 2,500 monthly honorarium for women.

Yadav said candidates would be selected based on their grassroots presence, booth-level influence and ability to mobilise support. “We will win if we work as one unit and campaign aggressively,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also expressed confidence about its prospects in the upcoming by-elections, saying it is fully prepared for the contest across all 12 municipal wards.