New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) The by-elections held across 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday sparked a fresh round of political slugfest between the BJP and the AAP, with both sides presenting contrasting narratives of the day’s polling.
While the AAP accused the BJP of “foul play”, the saffron party accused it of “bogus voting”.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, citing feedback from party workers during his visit to seven wards, said the party was confident of a strong show.
“For the first time, bypolls were held simultaneously in 12 wards. Despite the traditionally low voter turnout in local elections, BJP’s organisational strength proved beneficial today,” he said.
Sachdeva said voters were “seen coming to the BJP booths to get their voter slips made,” which, he claimed, reflected a favourable public sentiment.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta cast her vote with her family in her home turf Shalimar Bagh, while several senior BJP leaders, including MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat and BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor, too voted in their respective wards.
Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh thanked the citizens for voting and expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge as the “clear and decisive victor”.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) levelled serious allegations, accusing the BJP of “resorting to foul play”.
In an X post, AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that a former “SHO (station house officer) of the police is campaigning for the BJP candidate in plain clothes” and accused the Election Commission of inaction.
Responding to the allegations, Sachdeva issued a statement rejecting the charges and accusing the AAP of attempting “bogus voting”.
He said the FIRs lodged in Mundka against eight women allegedly linked to the AAP and another FIR filed in Naraina over violation of Model Code of Conduct by the party were “new experiences for Delhi”.
“We do not recall any organised attempt at fake voting in recent years. AAP tried bogus voting in Mundka and intended similar attempts in Sangam Vihar, Dakshinpuri, Naraina, Greater Kailash and Chandni Chowk, but they failed due to the vigilance of the police and BJP workers,” Sachdeva said.
He further alleged that the AAP leaders “wanted to contest the election through fake voting” and claimed that Bharadwaj began issuing “excuse-filled statements from 10.30 am” after noticing that police and the BJP are watching.
The results of the bypolls — in which 51 candidates, including 26 women, are in the fray – will be declared on December 3. PTI MHS RUK RUK
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