Counting begins for Delhi civic polls

Counting of votes of the Delhi civic polls began in New Delhi with an early indications of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in over 60 wards.

Counting of votes of the Delhi civic polls began in New Delhi on Saturday with an early indications of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in over 60 wards.

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According to the state election commission, while BJP was leading in over 60 seats after one hour of counting, the ruling Congress had taken the lead in 10 seats.

As many as 7,170 employees were busy in the counting process at 17 centres from 8 am to decide the electoral fate of 2,575 candidates.

"We have made elaborate arrangements for peaceful counting of votes and hope all the results would come before 2 pm," election commissioner SP Marwah said, adding that 34 observers would oversee the process.

Only 43 per cent of the 9.9 million voters in the Indian capital voted on Thursday to elect a new 272-member Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD) in a contest of prestige between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with officials ordering re-polling on Friday in 10 booths.