MCD bypolls for 12 wards on Nov 30, counting on Dec 3: Delhi SEC

The seats fell vacant after 11 councillors became MLAs and one became MP; nine were earlier held by BJP and three by AAP.

The State Election Commission (SEC) of Delhi announced on Tuesday that the by-elections for 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be held on November 30, with the counting of votes taking place on December 3.

BJP currently holds majority in MCD with 116 councillors, followed by AAP (98), IVP (15), Congress (8) and one Independent. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

According to the SEC, these seats fell vacant earlier in 2025 after 11 councillors were elected as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), while the Dwarka-B ward has remained vacant since last year after Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected as Member of Parliament from West Delhi.

The vacant wards are spread across different parts of the city, covering both general and reserved categories. The 12 wards where bypolls will be held include Shalimar Bagh-B, Greater Kailash, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Chandni Mahal, Dwarka-B, Dichaon Kalan, Naraina, Sangam Vihar-A, Dakshin Puri, Mundka, and Vinod Nagar.

The Commission said the notification for the elections will be issued on November 3, and candidates will be able to file nominations from November 3 to November 10. Withdrawal of candidature will be allowed until November 15.

“The Model Code of Conduct shall come into force in the above wards with immediate effect and shall continue to remain in force until the completion of the election process,” the SEC said in a statement.

Following the 2022 unification and delimitation exercise, the MCD area was reorganised into 250 municipal wards. In the 2022 municipal elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a majority with 134 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 104, and the Congress won eight.

Subsequently, after a series of defections and legal and political tussles, the BJP secured a majority earlier this year. After losing control of the corporation, a faction of AAP’s councillors broke away to form the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), further weakening AAP’s position.

According to an MCD official, the current strength of the corporation stands at BJP – 116 councillors, AAP – 98, IVP – 15, Congress – 8, and one Independent. Of the 12 vacant seats, nine were earlier held by BJP councillors and three by AAP councillors, officials added.

Reacting to the announcement, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said the election results will “come one-sidedly in favour of the BJP.”

“In the past eight months, the people of Delhi have witnessed how, after the formation of the BJP’s ‘triple-engine’ government, Delhi’s development has gained a new direction and momentum. Therefore, in the upcoming byelections, the people will vote overwhelmingly in favour of the BJP,” he said.

In a statement, the AAP said, “Out of these, nine seats were previously held by BJP councillors who became MLAs in the recent Assembly elections, while three were held by AAP councillors who have also been elected as MLAs. The AAP is confident that we will significantly increase its tally in these by-elections.”