By-elections to select new councillors in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will take place on Sunday in what is being viewed as a triangular contest and a virtual referendum on the performance of the BJP-led Rekha Gupta government in the national capital.
The results of these by-elections will be announced on December 3.
During the campaign period leading up to the polls, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) mounted intensive efforts to sway voters. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta spearheaded the BJP’s campaign, while former Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi took charge of her party’s outreach.
Senior leaders from both the BJP and AAP spread out across Delhi, addressing gatherings and making direct appeals to residents in this keenly contested municipal battle.
A total of 53 candidates are contesting for the 12 vacant seats. Prior to the vacancies, the BJP controlled nine of these 12 wards. The previous full MCD elections, covering all 250 seats, were conducted in December 2022. Following multiple shifts in councillors’ affiliations, the current composition of the MCD House stands at 115 BJP councillors.
The BJP is targeting a complete 12-0 sweep in Sunday’s by-elections, which would push its tally to the absolute majority threshold of 125 in the 250-member civic body. A strong showing is anticipated to bolster Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s standing and serve as public endorsement of her flagship initiatives, including e-bus services, health and insurance welfare programmes, and special arrangements made for Chhath devotees.
The stakes are equally high for the AAP, which currently holds 99 seats and is eager to recover lost ground in Delhi’s municipal politics after surrendering power to the BJP in the February 2025 Assembly elections.
The Congress, too, is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to capture a few wards, aiming to maintain its relevance in a city political landscape presently dominated by the BJP and AAP.
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The by-elections became necessary after sitting councillors from these wards were elected to the Lok Sabha or the Delhi Legislative Assembly over the past year. Eleven of the vacated seats were held by councillors, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta herself, who won Assembly seats and became Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
The Dwarka-B ward has remained vacant since last year following the election of BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat as Member of Parliament from West Delhi. The complete list of vacant wards is: Mundka, Shalimar Bagh-B, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Chandni Mahal, Dwarka B, Dichaon Kalan, Naraina, Sangam Vihar-A, Dakshin Puri (SC), Greater Kailash, and Vinod Nagar.
These wards are located within prominent Assembly constituencies such as Mundka, Wazirpur, Matiala, Najafgarh, Rajender Nagar, Deoli, and Patparganj.
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