MCD election results 2017: Modi magic has swept Kejriwal aside
It is now more than evident that BJP is set for a hat-trick and is likely to sweep the crucial Delhi MCD elections. Counting is still on, but the BJP, riding the Modi wave, is leading in over 180 seats, while the AAP and the Congress are battling it out for a distant second and third positions.
Almost all the exit polls predicted Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party to suffer a major defeat this time, despite the BJP ruling the municipal corporation for the last 10 years, or two consecutive terms.
BJP is leading in all the three MCDs - North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations and the numbers indicate that the BJP face for the MCDs, along with Modi and Amit Shah, the Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari, can expect to celebrate albeit in a muted manner.
According to early counting trends, BJP is leading in 184 wards, the Congress in 40 and the AAP in 37 wards in the Delhi civic polls. However, the India Today-Axis My India exit poll had predicted an even greater margin of victory for the BJP, at 202-220 seats.
AAP, the exit poll said, would win 23-25 seats, while the Congress about 19-31 seats. Though marginally better performances have been registered by the AAP and the Congress, it seems that two-term anti-incumbency was no factor for the BJP, which is riding the Modi wave.
In the 2012 MCD polls, BJP had won 138 seats while the Congress had bagged 77 seats. BJP had then won a majority in the north and east and was the largest party in MCD south.
BJP leader Vijay Goel has in fact openly challenged the AAP and declared that going by the Axis My India poll predictions, AAP supremo Kejriwal should step down because he had lost the Delhi people's confidence.
Losing game for AAP
The AAP it seems has lost much of the good faith that it had gained only two years back, in February 2015 Assembly elections in Delhi. That the AAP couldn't undo two term anti-incumbency of the BJP means in the battle between Modi and Kejriwal, the former has decisively won.
Local issues have been sidelined in this year's MCD polls as nationalism, soldiers, Modi and other pan-India issues ruled the conversation. That's unfortunate because the MCDs remain some of the most mismanaged in the big Indian cities.
AAP had raised issues over EVMs not functioning properly and Arvind Kejriwal had questioned the Delhi election commission over reports of the malfunctioning of voting machines during the civic bodies elections held on April 23.
Capital mood swings
The 2017 MCD polls saw a turnout of 53.58 per cent with votes polled in 270 wards. Polling in the Sarai Pipal Thala and Maujpur wards will be conducted next month due to the death of two candidates.
Votes are being counted at 35 centres across the capital. 16 of these counting centres are in north Delhi, 13 in south Delhi and six in east Delhi.
More than 90,000 security personnel will be guarding these centres during the counting process. All the counting centres will send updates to the Delhi State Election Commission (DSEC) office in Kashmere Gate.
Large screens have been installed next to the DSEC office to display voting trends for the public.
The capital will remain dry on counting day. All bars and liquor outlets will remain closed until 5.30pm.
The BJP is confident it will win the elections again. However, it has asked all supporters to steer clear of celebrations as mark of respect for the 26 Central Reserve Police Force personnel who lost their lives in the Maoist attack in Sukma on Monday.
Also read: Press BSP to vote BJP: Delhi MCD election sees a different kind of tampering