MCD polls on Dec 4, likely tobe most bitterly fought

Polling For 250 Wards, Results Out On Dec 7

- Atul Mathur & Vibha Sharma

New Delhi: The stage is set for probably the most high-decibel civic poll campaign to be carried out in the capital, with the state election commission announcing the poll schedule for the reunified Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Friday. Delayed by more than seven months due to the merger of the three erstwhile corporations and a subsequent delimitation exercise, the elections — a three-cornered contest between BJP, AAP and Congress — will be held barely a month from now, on December 4, while the votes will be counted on December 7, state election commissioner Vijay Kumar Dev announced at a press conference.

The acrimony between BJP and AAP and the daily squabbles and skirmishes make it a high-stakes election for both parties. BJP has run the corporation for 15 years since 2007 and AAP has won the last two assembly polls in the capital with record margins. The saffron party has accused AAP of starving the corporation of funds while AAP has held the BJP-run corporations guilty of corruption and mismanagement. For Congress, it’s a fight to stay relevant in Delhi’s politics.

Race To Civic Centre Starts, Set For Dec 7 Finish

Model Code Kicks In, Parties. Set To Begin Their Campaigns