MCD results: Early trends hint at tight fight between AAP, BJP

Counting began at 42 centres across Delhi under tight security

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS The counting of votes for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election began on Wednesday, and the early trends show its a neck-and-neck fight between the BJP and AAP.

While the BJP is leading in 124 seats as of 9 am, the AAP is inching in with 111 seats. The Congress could only put up a dismal performance with just 12 leads.

The exit polls have predicted that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would wrest the civic body from BJP this time. 

The counting began at 8 am and the State Election Commission (SEC) had made extensive preparations for the same. Over 68 election observers have been deployed at the 42 centres, who will supervise the counting carried out by Returning Officers in the presence of candidates or their representatives.

The SEC has also arranged 136 engineers from Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) at these counting centres to attend to any technical issues regarding the EVMs which may arise during the counting of votes. The live results will also be available at the Special Media Rooms on the Commission's web portal on the LED screens at these 42 counting centres.

A Media Centre has also been set up at SEC (HQ) at Nigam Bhawan, Kashmere Gate, for the media personnel.

Meanwhile, there will be multi-layered security at every counting centre and only persons authorized by the Commission will be permitted inside. Though mobile phone use has been allowed inside these centres, the same is restricted to the designated areas only as per instructions of RO/SEC, according to the commission.

The polls for 250 wards in the national capital were held on December 4. There was a turnout of over 50 per cent.

Though the high-stakes civic polls were largely a three-way contest,  the fight was majorly between the BJP and the AAP. The Congress also carried out extensive campaigning to win back the civic body.