Three-way contest in offing as campaign trail comes to an end for MCD polls

New Delhi: Campaigning for April 23 polls for the three Municipal Corporations, which has become a matter of prestige for the Congress, BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, came to an end this evening. 

The election to the MCDs is slated to witness a triangular contest with Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP making its debut this time. Earlier, the fight to win the civic polls used to be bipolar between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Delhi State Election Commission has made foolproof arrangements for the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Tight security has been deployed for the smooth holding of the polling exercise. Besides, the Delhi Police personnel, paramilitary forces will be deployed to man security during the polling, which will take place at 13,234 centres across the capital. 

This time, 2,537 candidates are in the fray for the elections. 'Swaraj India' , set up by leader expelled from AAP, Yogendra Yadav, too, is testing the political waters in the MCD polls. Also in the fray are the Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal(U), Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India and some other parties who have fielded their candidates on certain wards for the civic polls. 

The municipal polls have become a matter of prestige for the three key political factions. On the one hand, AAP, which had received a massive mandate in Delhi assembly elections in 2015 by annexing 67 seats in the 70-member house, is trying to overcome the recent setback of a defeat in the Punjab and Goa assembly polls while on the other hand, the BJP, fresh from its landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, is aspiring to retain the MCDs the third time by riding on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The Congress, too, is striving hard to regain lost ground after being completely wiped out in 2015 in Delhi assembly elections. Heavyweight Congress leader and former minister Arvinder Singh 'Lovely' and Delhi Youth Congress President Amit Malik shifted allegiance to BJP just prior to the polls. It is being assumed that erstwhile Delhi Women's Congress President Barkha Singh's allegations, too, might dent the prospects of the party.

All the three political parties have made 'cleanliness'' their key election plank . The BJP has promised that if voted to power in MCD, it would not impose any new tax for the next five years and said that under the 'Deen Dayal Antyodya Rasoi Yojana' scheme, it would provide food at Rs 10 to the needy . 

Congress, too, has come up with a bagful of promises, including that on winning, it too would not introduce any new tax for the next five years. 
The Congress has said that the ‘Bhagidari’ ("Participation'') scheme will be re-implemented and proper tapping of resources would be done, besides eliminating corruption and making MCD financially independent within one year. 

The party has also promised that it would issue licenses to vendors and hawkers and ensure excellent primary education and health services for the people of Delhi. (UNI)