Delhi Congress names 12 candidates for MCD bye-polls

New Delhi, Apr 13: Delhi Congress on Wednesday announced the names of 12 of its 13 candidates for the municipal corporation bypolls scheduled to be held on May 15.

The party is yet to name its candidate for Nanakpura ward. Of the 13 wards where by-elections will be held, seven fall under the jurisdiction of SDMC, four in NDMC and two in EDMC.

The youngest candidate in the Congress list is Yogita Rathi, 32, from Munirka West, while Mahesh Khari, 54, from Wajirpur is the oldest, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said.

The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012 into North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations or NDMC, SDMC and EDMC.

The notification for the by-polls will be issued next Monday and votes will be polled on May 15. Counting will take place on May 17. Former councillor Satpal Sethi will contest Nawada ward seat.

Other candidates include Ashok Bhardwaj (Kamruddin Nagar), Bhagmal Sharma (Shalimar Bagh North), Obaid Khan (Ballimaran), Rajesh Yadav (Vikas Nagar), Sudha Sinha (Matiala), Joginder Tanwar (Bhati), Gyanendra Mawi (Tehkhand), Anand Kumar (Khichripur) and Pankaj Luthra (Jhilmil).

Congress had been at the forefront in demanding holding of by-elections to the vacant seats and even filed a petition in the High Court.

The poll schedule was announced by the Delhi state election commission yesterday following court orders. Aam Admi Party (AAP) has already announced its candidates for all 13 seats.

The posts of councillors in the 13 wards fell vacant after nine of them resigned on becoming legislators in the 2013 Assembly elections and four after the 2015 polls.

PTI