M A I N   N E W S

BJP sweeps Delhi civic polls again
Himani Chandel/TNS

New Delhi, April 17
The Congress dream of winning Delhi civic polls was shattered as the BJP won all three Municipal Corporations for the second consecutive time. The saffron party made a clean sweep in East, North and South winning 138 seats out of the 272. The Congress won 77 seats, the BSP 15 and others 24.

In East Delhi Municipal Corporation comprising 64 wards, considered a Congress stronghold, the party managed only 19 seats, while the BJP bagged 35, the BSP three and others six.

The 104-seat North Delhi Corporation, the BJP bagged 59 seats. The Congress had to remain content with 29 seats. The BSP emerged winners on seven seats and others got four.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation poll saw the BJP bagging 44 seats, the Congress 29, the BSP five and others 14.

As the candidates of 17 political parties waited for the results with bated breath at the 33 counting centres, the BJP established lead in the South and North, considered its stronghold. In East, however, the Congress candidates put up some fight against the BJP candidates.

In the 2007 municipal polls of undivided civic body, the BJP had bagged 167 seats. The Congress candidates emerged winners at 67 seats, while the BSP’s tally stood at 12.

The chances of the Congress during elections this year were marred by alleged corruption during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

The results are seen as a debacle for the Congress which was expecting to gain after the trifurcation of the municipal corporation by the Sheila Dikshit government. The party was also banking on the development work done by the Delhi Chief Minister in preparation for the Commonwealth Games 2010.

For the first time in Delhi municipal elections, 50 per cent seats (138) of the total 272 seats were reserved for women. South Delhi with 104 wards had the maximum number of candidates in the fray (904) followed by North (885), which also has 104 wards, and East (634) which has 64 wards.

“We have come back to power in all three municipal corporations. We have done a good job and the public has supported us. The people have come out this time against the UPA,” said BJP president Nitin Gadkari.