Delhi Civic Polls: AAP & Congress Tie With 5 Seats Each; BJP Lags

AAP makes a smashing debut in the MCD polls. Congress comes at par with 5 out of the 13 seats each.

Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP upstages BJP’s decade-old hold over the MCD. (Photo:Reuters)

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won in five out of the 13 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for which bypolls were held on 15 May. However, the Congress with four seats and the support of an independent candidate – who won in one ward – levelled with the AAP.

In its debut civic elections, AAP ended the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decade-old hold over the MCD.

Congress Makes a Comeback

While AAP and Congress are tied, this would have come as an ego boost for the latter after its disastrous show in the 2013 Delhi elections. That year, the AAP marked a historic win in the national capital by overpowering the long-standing Sheila Dixit-led Congress government.

The seats where Congress has been traditionally weak, if we have been able to win those, it is a big achievement. I want to thank Rahul Gandhiji as well for taking an initiative to address problems of people in the slums. 

Ajay Maken, Congress Leader

The bypolls were necessitated due to their sitting councillors getting elected to Delhi Assembly in 2013 and 2015.

45.9 percent of the 6,68,870 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the civic polls.

The MCD which was trifurcated in 2012, has been ruled by the BJP for nearly a decade.