Exit polls telecast by different private TV channels, on Monday evening, have predicted a thumping victory for the AAP in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls as the party is projected to get 155 of the 250 wards.
Exit poll of Aaj Tak-Axis My India has predicted that the AAP is likely to get 149-171 wards while another exit poll by Times Now-ETG has predicted that the AAP may get anywhere between 146 and 156 wards.
Aaj Tak has projected that the BJP may get 69-91 wards while Times Now exit poll predicts that the BJP may get 84-94 wards.
According to the News X-Jan Ki Baat exit poll, the AAP may get 159-175 wards and the BJP may get 70-92 wards.
All the three channels’ exit polls have predicted that the Congress may get 10 or less wards while others would get around 5-9 wards.
The MCD polls held on Sunday witnessed a lower turnout of voters as compared to the 2017 polls with around 50 per cent of the electorates exercising their franchisee, officials said.
Election officials, citing data available till 5.30 pm, said around 50 per cent turnout was recorded, adding the final figures would be known later. The turnout in the 2017 civic body elections was 53 per cent.
A total of 13,638 polling centres were set up for the polling on Sunday.
The results for the polls will be announced on December 7.
A total of 1,349 candidates were in the fray for 250 wards of the MCD. The prime contest in the civic polls is mainly between the BJP and the AAP. Both the parties have fielded 250 candidates each in all the 250 wards.
The Congress, which is expecting to bag more wards this time compared to that it won in 2017 civic elections, fielded 247 hopefuls.
All the political parties campaigned hard for the elections with the issue of cleanliness in the city figuring prominently in the political discourse.
The BJP, which has governed the civic body in Delhi since 2007, is looking to maintain its winning streak while the Aam Aadmi Party, which has a majority in the Assembly, is looking to make inroads in the first municipal election in the capital after the delimitation of wards.
This year, the Central government unified the three corporations – East Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation – into one MCD.
After a Home Ministry notification, the total number of MCD wards in Delhi has been reduced to 250 from earlier 272. As many as 42 wards are in the reserved category.
The BJP has governed the civic bodies since 2007. In the last civic body polls held in 2017, the BJP won 181 of the 270 wards. The AAP had won 48 wards. The Congress managed to win 27 seats. The polling was not held for two seats due to the death of candidates.