The stage is set for bypolls in five municipal wards in Delhi on Sunday with all three contenders — the Aam Aadmi Party, BJP and the Congress — exuding confidence of emerging victorious.
The bypolls are being seen as a curtainraiser for the civic body elections for 272 wards of the three municipal corporations in early 2022.
Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava on Saturday reviewed the law and order situation and security arrangements made for the by-elections. He emphasised on keeping vigil on border areas in view of the bypolls and ongoing farmers’ stir.
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According to the State Election Commission, around 2.42 lakh people are eligible to cast their votes in the five municipal wards: Rohini-C, Shalimar Bagh (North), Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri and Chauan Banger.
Voting will be held from 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
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The results will be announced on March 3, officials said, adding that there are 327 polling stations.
Twenty-six candidates are contesting the elections.
Officials said that COVID-19 patients can vote during the last hour of polling.
The main candidates in the bypolls are Dhirendra from AAP, Siyaram Kanojia from the BJP and Dharampal Maurya from the Congress in the Kalyanpuri ward. Vijay Kumar from the AAP, Om Prakash Gugarwal from the BJP and Bal Kishan are contesting from Trilokpuri ward.
Former AAP MLA Haji Ishraq Khan is pitted against Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad of the Congress and Nazir Ansari of the BJP from Chauhan Bamgar ward.
These three wards are under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. The AAP held these wards which were vacated after sitting councillors contested the Assembly polls last year and became MLAs.
From the Shalimar Bagh North ward that fell vacant after the death of the BJP councillor, the contest is between Surbhi Jaju of the BJP, Sunita Mishra of the AAP and Mamta of the Congress.
The Rohini-C ward will witness a contest between former Bawana MLA Ramchandra of the AAP, Rajesh Goyal of the BJP and Mewati Barwala of the Congress.
Blame game
The AAP and the BJP have been attacking each other over a range of issues, including corruption, during the campaigning.
Earlier this week, senior AAP leader Raghav Chadha had alleged that the BJP, ruling the three municipal corporations, has turned the city into a “heap of garbage”.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that the party will win all the five wards.
The Congress leaders have already appealed to Delhiites to vote for the party candidates in the by-elections.
(With inputs from PTI)