Delhi gears up for bypolls in 12 MCD wards, preparations intensify

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) The State Election Commission of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has initiated intensive preparations for the upcoming bye-elections to fill vacancies in 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The vacant wards include Mundka, Shalimar Bagh-B, Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Chandni Mahal, Dwarka B, Dichaon Kalan, Naraina, Sangam Vihar-A, Dakshin Puri (SC), Greater Kailash, and Vinod Nagar.

These wards fall under key Assembly constituencies such as Mundka, Wazirpur, Matiala, Najafgarh, Rajender Nagar, Deoli, and Patparganj.

The Commission confirmed that Assembly Electoral Rolls, as updated with a qualifying date of January 1, 2025, will be adopted for these bye-elections, in compliance with Section 7(E) of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1957.

“All supplements subsequently prepared up to the last date for filing nominations for the above bye-elections shall also form part of the electoral rolls for the above bye-elections,” the Delhi Election Commission said in its press note.

Returning Officers for all 12 wards have been briefed and assigned the task of finalising polling stations by October 13, 2025.

Public notices inviting objections and suggestions from citizens have already been issued.

To ensure smooth polling, officers from the Government of NCT Delhi and MCD have been deployed as District Election Officers, ROs, AROs, and General Observers. Expenditure Observers will also be appointed to monitor spending during the poll process.

The Commission announced enhanced voter assistance measures, including wheelchair booking, pick-and-drop facilities for senior citizens above 85 years and persons with disabilities through the “Nigam Chunav Delhi” mobile application.

A Single Window Permission Portal is also being launched to streamline campaign permissions and handle complaints efficiently.

“A meeting has also been held with the Commissioner of Police, Delhi today to review the security as well as law and order situation for the smooth conduct of the bye-elections. The Commission will be holding a meeting shortly with the Chief Secretary, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, to ensure seamless arrangements to enable the Commission to conduct by-elections at the earliest,” it said.

The election schedule will be announced after considering festivals, examinations, logistical constraints, and security inputs to ensure a peaceful and well-organised electoral process.

--IANS

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