The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a strong performance in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypolls on Wednesday, winning seven out of the 12 wards that went to vote on November 30. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured three seats, while the Congress and the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) won one seat each, respectively.
The bypolls, held months after the BJP swept the Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025, witnessed a modest voter turnout of 38.51%, significantly lower than the 50.47% recorded in the full-scale 2022 MCD elections. A total of 51 candidates, including 26 women, contested across the 12 wards.
BJP Wins 7 Seats, Loses Two Strongholds
The BJP opened its tally with Suman Kumar Gupta winning the Chandni Chowk ward by a margin of 1,182 votes. The party continued its strong show with victories in Shalimar Bagh B (Anita Jain), Dwarka B (Manisha Devi), Vinod Nagar (Sarla Choudhry and Veena Asija), Greater Kailash (Anjum Mandal), and Dichaon Kalan (Rekha Rani).
Of the nine seats previously held by the BJP, the party failed to retain two, marking a minor setback in an otherwise comfortable performance.
AAP Gains Three Wards
The Aam Aadmi Party secured important wins with Ram Swaroop Kanojia defeating his rivals in Dakshin Puri, Anil winning from Mundka, and Rajan Arora clinching the Naraina ward.
Congress, AIFB Make One Gain Each
The Congress registered a victory in the Sangam Vihar A ward, while the AIFB pulled off a surprise win in Chandni Mahal, adding diversity to the election outcome.
Heightened Security During Counting
Counting took place amid tight security across 10 centres, including Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar, and Mandawali. Nearly 1,800 police personnel, along with paramilitary forces, were deployed to maintain order throughout the process.
Key Vacant Wards Under Spotlight
Two wards drew particular attention:
Shalimar Bagh B, vacated after BJP councillor Rekha Gupta became Delhi’s Chief Minister earlier this year.
Dwarka B, lying vacant since 2024 after its former councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat was elected to Parliament from West Delhi.
Political Implications
The results reaffirm the BJP’s continued dominance in Delhi’s civic politics, even as AAP and Congress make selective inroads. Analysts say the outcomes could influence future strategies for all major parties ahead of the next round of civic and assembly engagements.