MCD poll: Sounds, songs and colour at AAP office as party inches closer to majority mark

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

The AAP inched closer to the majority mark of 126 as it emerged victorious in 106 wards, while the BJP bagged 84. The Congress was a distant third after winning five wards, according to the latest counting trends.

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 reveled 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. In the early trends, the BJP was leading in 66 seats and the AAP in 30 around 9 am. The Congress was ahead on just three seats.

The margin between the AAP and the BJP narrowed as the counting progressed, and around 9.05 am the BJP was leading in 107 seats and the AAP in 95. Around 10.30 am, the AAP (123) went ahead of the BJP (108). The Congress was marching ahead in 12 seats.

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). (PTI)