Delhi CM Rekha Gupta leads BJP charge on last campaign day for civic body polls

CM Rekha Gupta campaigned for BJP in Delhi's MCD by-elections, emphasizing development and local governance ahead of polling on November 30.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a series of roadshows across three municipal wards on Friday, the last day of campaigning for the upcoming Municipal Corporation Of Delhi (MCD) by-elections, calling on residents to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) . The polling will take place on November 30.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta waves to voters at Ward 65 in Ashok Vihar, on Friday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Gupta campaigned in Shalimar Bagh-B for candidate Anita Jain, Chandni Chowk (Ward 74) for Suman Kumar Gupta, and Ashok Vihar (Ward 65) for Veena Asija. Shalimar Bagh-B fell vacant earlier this year when the CM was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the area.

Speaking in Shalimar Bagh-B, Gupta said, “The municipal polls will play an important role in shaping the continuity and pace of development in the capital. Strengthening local governance remains a key focus for the administration.”

In the three areas, the CM interacted with residents, highlighting key civic works that the government has taken up in recent months, including introducing Ayushman Aarogya clinics, DEVi buses and upgrading drainage and sewage systems.

Projects related to roads, sanitation and primary healthcare services have recorded visible progress, she said.

The BJP is targeting a clean sweep of all 12 seats going to polls in this round, party leaders have said. Gupta said in Shalimar Bagh the public response during the roadshows signalled that there was strong support for the party’s candidates.

“The results of the elections will influence civic service delivery across neighbourhoods. This election is about ensuring that development work reaches every household,” she said in Chandni Chowk.

The roadshows saw participation from local party leaders, councillor hopefuls and residents.

The state election commission on Friday also issued orders prohibiting any kind of opinion polls till Sunday. The wards fell vacant earlier this year after 11 councillors, including chief minister Rekha Gupta, were elected as MLAs. The Dwarka-B seat has been vacant since last year after BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected as a Member of Parliament from West Delhi.

Of the 12 vacant wards, the BJP had held nine seats while the AAP councillors represented the remaining three seats of Chandni Chowk, Dakshinpuri and Chandni Mahal. An MCD official said that, according to the current position, the BJP has 116 councillors, AAP has 98, IVP has 15, and Congress has eight, with one seat with an Independent.

Following the 2022 unification and delimitation exercise, the MCD area has been divided into 250 municipal wards. In the 2022 municipal polls, AAP won a majority in the MCD with 134 seats, the BJP secured 104 seats, and the Congress won 8 seats. Following a series of defections and prolonged legal and political tussle, the BJP secured a majority earlier this year. After losing power, a section of AAP’s breakaway councillors formed the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), further diluting its hold on the corporation.