MCD polls will be held on April 23 due to CBSE exam

The BJP has been ruling the MCD since 2007. The last polls were held in 2012. The much-awaited polls will decide the fate of 272 councillors.

New Delhi, March 23: The date for the elections to the three municipal corporations in the national capital was on Wednesday postponed by a day to April 23 in view of the CBSE board examination.

The date for counting of votes has also been extended to April 26. "We tried to hold the elections on April 22 only but it would have been difficult to manage it due to Class XII CBSE examination on the polling day. In view of this, now the MCD polls will be held on April 23. As a result, we have also postponed the date for counting by a day to April 26," State Election Commissioner S K Srivastava told PTI. MCD polls were earlier scheduled to be held on April 22 and the counting was to take place on April 25.

"However, dates for all other poll processes, including for nominations, would remain unchanged," he said. As per earlier schedule, the nomination process will begin from March 27. April 3 would be the last date for filing nominations.

Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 5. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is April 8 for 272 wards municipal elections. The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012 into North, South and East Municipal Corporation or NDMC, SDMC and EDMC respectively.

The BJP has been ruling the MCD since 2007. The last polls were held in 2012. The much-awaited polls will decide the fate of 272 councillors. While NDMC and SMDC have 104 seats each, EDMC has 64 seats.

The total number of electorate for the civic polls stands at 1,32,10,206, which include 73,15,915 men, 58,93,418 women and 793 voters in the other category, the state election commission said.

PTI