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Celebrations begin as AAP surges ahead in MCD poll

Last updated on: December 07, 2022 14:02 IST

With an Aam Aadmi Party victory looking certain in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi poll, celebrations started at its office in New Delhi on Wednesday with supporters carrying party flags distributing sweets and dancing to the beat of drums.

IMAGE: AAP supporters celebrate outside a counting centre for the MCD elections at Patel Nagar, in New Delhi on December 7, 2022. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

The mood at the AAP's office on Rouse Avenue was celebratory since morning with songs blaring through loudspeakers and the entire premises decked up with colourful balloons.

Supporters and leaders, including Gopal Rai, Atishi and Durgesh Pathak, started gathering at the office as counting progressed and numbers swung in favour of the AAP.

Hoardings reading 'acche honge 5 saal, MCD mein bhi Kejriwal' lined the street outside as supporters revelled to the AAP's official poll song 'MCD mein Arvind Kejriwal'.

As counting began at 8 am, party workers had their eyes glued to LED screens throwing the latest trends.

They also kept a tab on social media and some of them were seen constantly tweeting as the final touches were being given to the office for celebrating the party's first victory in a municipal poll here.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Kejriwal is expected to address people after the results.

Most exit polls had predicted a huge win for the AAP over the BJP with the Congress being a distant third.

While the AAP had fielded 138 women candidates, the BJP and the Congress had nominated 136 and 129, respectively.

The high-stakes election to the 250 wards of the MCD was held on December 4, sealing the electoral fate of 1,349 candidates in voting machines. A voter turnout of 50.48 per cent was registered in the elections.

In the 2017 civic election, the BJP had won 181 of the 270 wards. Polling could not be held on two seats due to the death of candidates. The AAP had won 48 wards and the Congress 27. The voting percentage that year was around 53.

This year, the highest polling percentage (65.72) has been recorded in ward no. 5 (Bakhtawarpur), while the lowest (33.74 per cent) was registered in ward no. 145 (Andrews Ganj).