MCD elections: State poll body has received only 1 nomination so far

Enforcement teams have also removed nearly 300,000 illegal posters and banners since the model code of conduct came into force.

New Delhi A day after the state election commission (SEC) initiated the nomination process for polls to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the poll body on Tuesday said it has received only one nomination so far -- that of an Independent candidate -- from a ward in south Delhi.

The MCD Civic Centre Building in New Delhi. (HT file)

The poll body had last week announced that the MCD elections will be held on December 4, while the counting of votes will be done on December 7. State election commissioner Vijay Dev said with the announcement, the model code of conduct for the polls has come into force.

The nomination process will continue till 3pm on November 14, and the main political parties contesting the MCD polls are yet to finalise their list of candidates.

An SEC official, on condition of anonymity, said the lone candidate to file his nomination papers is a computer science teacher who will contest from the Green Park ward in south Delhi, and claims to belong to the Rashtriya Rashtrawadi Party. However, the official added, all candidates belonging to unrecognised parties will be treated as Independent candidates.

Meanwhile, enforcement teams have removed nearly 300,000 illegal posters and banners since the model code of conduct came into force.

“The cumulative number of banners, posters and hoardings removed by the 24 enforcement teams till 8 November 2022 stands at 295,641. Of these, 153,000 were posters, 87,563 hoardings, 26,511 banners and 27,970 billboards,” a report undersigned by the additional deputy commissioner (election) said.

Defacing of public property by putting up posters at non-designated sites is an offence under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007, but violations remain rampant even during non-poll season.

The SEC has also convened a meeting of general election and expenditure observers on Thursday for poll preparation. “During the workshop, the state election commissioner would lead the proceedings and the general election observers/election expenditure observers would be trained about their specific roles during the elections,” a second SEC official said.

The expenditure cap for each candidate has been raised from ₹5.75 lakh during the previous elections to ₹8 lakh.