Counting underway for Delhi MCD bypoll

New Delhi, May 17: Counting of votes is underway in the 13 wards of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to which by elections were held, with AAP leading in six wards and Congress in four according to trends available.

According to latest reports, Congress won from Jhilmil ward number 238 by 10318 votes, BJP won from Shalimar Bagh ward and Nawada.

"The counting started smoothly at all the counting centers and results were like to be announced by noon," said a Delhi State Election Commission official.

According to latest trends, AAP was leading in six wards, while Congress was leading in four and BJP in two wards and independent in one ward, said the official. 45.9 per cent of the 6,68,870 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the bypolls held on May 15.

The bypolls to the wards falling under three corporations- SDMC (7), NDMC (4) and EDMC (2)- were necessitated due to their sitting councillors getting elected to Delhi Assembly in 2013 and 2015.

All the three major players BJP, AAP and Congress have expressed hope of winning most of the 13 seats contested by them.

AAP, making its debut in the civic bypolls is hoping to replicate its Assembly polls performance that will set ground for it in the 2017 MCD elections. The MCD which was trifurcated in 2012, has been BJP-ruled for nearly a decade.

PTI