NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party is likely to sweep the MCD elections, with exit polls predicting a huge victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and the end of 15-year BJP rule in the country’s second-largest civic body. Most exit polls have predicted less than 10 wards for the Congress. The results will be out on Wednesday.Post-delimitation, the MCD wards were reduced to 250 from 272. In the 2017 polls when elections were held in 270 wards, the BJP won 184, AAP 46 and Congress 30.
According to Aaj Tak-Axis My India exit polls, AAP may win 149-171 wards, Times Now-ETG predicted the party would get anywhere between 146 and 156 wards. For the BJP, the Aaj Tak predicted victory in 69-91 wards and Times Now 84-94 wards. The News X-Jan Ki Baat exit poll gave AAP 150-175 wards, BJP 70-92, Congress 4-7 and others one. The exit polls of Zee News-BARC predicted 134-146 seats to AAP, 82-94 seats to BJP, 14-19 seats to Congress and 14-19 to others.
If AAP snatches MCD from BJP, the party will have a complete control over many sectors such as sanitation and garbage management, community services, public health, veterinary, primary education, property tax, advertisement, toll tax, licensing (health & trade), factory licensing, birth & death certificate, architecture & town planning, engineering, labour welfare, building, environmental management, horticulture, land & estate, among others.
Ever since AAP came to power, there has been a tussle between the party-led Delhi government and the BJP-ruled MCD over delivery of services and jurisdiction. While AAP alleged corruption and complete chaos in MCD due to which civic services were paralysed in the city, BJP councillors blamed Kejriwal responsible for the crisis in the civic body.
The MCD has a huge potential and there is an urgent need to work with proper intention, minister and AAP’s Delhi convener Gopal Rai said. He said once the party comes to power, there would be no blame game and the focus would be on ensuring the all-round development of the city. “There is no financial crisis but only mismanagement. Once we come to power, we will show how to manage it properly,” Rai said.
Around 50.47% voting was recorded in polls on Sunday. According to the State Election Commission, a total of 40,26,866 (51.02%) male voters, 32,93,497 (49.82%) female voters voted in the civic election. Bakhtawarpur reported the highest voting percentage of 65.74%, while lowest turnout was reported from Andrews Ganj with 33.74%. There were 229 voters aged 100 & above, as per election data.