MCD Election 2022: Voting for Delhi’s 250 MCD wards to be held on December 4. Check details here

On Sunday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election will take place, setting the stage for the crucial municipal elections, which are primarily seen as a three-way race between the BJP, the AAP, and the Congress. 

This is the first civic election following the new delimitation process, and the MCD elections will take place between the two phases of Gujarat Assembly elections, on December 1 and 5. Elections for the 250 MCD wards are set to take place from 8 am to 5.30 pm.

The MCD election results will be announced on December 7, a day before the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

More than 1.46 crore residents in 250 wards are eligible to vote in the civic polls, which are widely regarded as a three-way race between the BJP, the AAP, and the Congress.

On Sunday, there will be a deployment of about 40,000 Delhi Police officers, 20,000 home guards, and 108 CAPF and SAP companies. All Delhi government schools were closed on Saturday due to the election, and the MCD schools will also be closed on December 5—the day after the election.

While the Congress is running for 247 seats, the BJP and the AAP have each fielded 250 candidates. The BJP is running for a fourth term as the civic organization’s ruling party. There are a total of 1,349 candidates running for the MCD polls, including 709 women.

The MCD elections have historically had low voter turnout, with Delhi recording turnouts of 43.24 per cent in 2007, 53.39 per cent in 2012, and 53.5 per cent in 2017. In contrast, Delhi’s parliamentary and assembly elections saw significantly higher turnout in 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2020, with 66.4 per cent, 67.13 per cent, 67.4 per cent, and 62.59 per cent, respectively.

On election day, Delhi Metro train services on all lines will begin at 4 a.m. from all terminal stations, with trains running every 30 minutes until 6 a.m. Following that, metro trains will operate on a regular Sunday schedule throughout the day.

The State Election Commission has declared a ban on alcohol sales from 5.30 PM on December 2 to 5.30 PM on December 4. Again, on the day of the results (December 7), liquor sales will be prohibited in Delhi.