MCD election results 2017 Live: Counting of votes shows BJP win, AAP blames EVMs, Maken resigns.
The counting of votes polled in Delhi municipal elections began at 8 am today, with the results likely to have political ramifications beyond the national capital.
“We are all working as per the schedule. All the EVMs have been deposited with due seal and counting will begin at 8 am. There are 35 counting centres and we are all geared up,” Delhi state election commissioner S.K. Srivastava said on Tuesday.
The high-stakes elections to Delhi Municipal Corporations (MCD) were held on 23 April and witnessed a voter turnout of 53.58%, a shade higher than that recorded in 2012.
The three main players—the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress—had campaigned intensely ahead of MCD elections and all of them are expecting a favourable mandate, even as an exit poll has predicted a “landslide victory” for the saffron party.
Here are the live updates to MCD election results:
12.20pm: Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit tells NDTV, “No one asked me to a campaign. Congress campaign wasn’t aggressive.”
12.10pm: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia says EVM tampering a bitter truth.
12.00pm: The BJP, after four hours of counting of votes, is currently leading in 66 seats in MCD North, 66 in South and 49 in East. While AAP is continuing in the second position, Congress is down to third in all three corporations. 11.50am: Taking responsibility for the defeat, Ajay Maken said will resign as Delhi Congress president. “For 1 year I will not take up any post in the party, will work as a party worker. We have made a reasonable comeback, but I had hoped to do better in MCD polls,” Maken told ANI. 11.40am: BJP candidate from Dwarka-B Kamaljeet Sehrawat wins. AAP candidate Asit Kumar loses from Burari in MCD North. Congress candidate Anisha Gupta loses from Mubarak Pur Dabas in MCD North, reports ANI. 11.30am: BJP president Amit Shah said party’s win in the MCD polls is because of PM Narendra Modi’s policies. He also congratulated Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari.
11.10am: The BJP is currently leading in 64 seats in MCD North, 70 in MCD South and 47 in MCD East. The AAP is second all three corporations even as Congress drops to third.
11.00am: BJP’s Narender Chawla wins from Janakpuri West by a margin of 1,347 votes, while Veena Sharma defeats her AAP rival by 5,362 votes. The BJP also wins Rajender Nagar ward in North.
10.50am: “Winning and losing is a part of democracy, one must accept the mandate of the people with maturity,” Union minister Nitin Gadkari tells ANI.
10.40am: AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha tells NDTV, “You can’t blame us for using the EVM bahana after losing, we’ve been saying so for the last month”. “It’s difficult to digest that despite halving electricity rates, giving water for free, improving schools and hospitals, people haven’t voted for AAP,” AAP leader Ashutosh tells ANI.
10.30am: “We accept the mandate given by the people of Delhi,” former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit tells News18. 10.20am: “BJP only viable option available to voter today and that is why BJP given mandate at every level; thank voter of Delhi,” Union minister Jitendra Singh tells ANI.
10.10am: AAP leader Gopal Rai said, “It’s not Modi wave, it’s EVM wave.” The BJP, on the other hand, said it won’t celebrate the results due to Sukma attack.
10.00am: After the first two hours of counting of votes, the BJP is leading in 66 seats in North, 65 in South and 42 in East. The AAP is leading in 12 seats in North, 18 in South and 10 in East. The Congress is leading in 19 seats in the North, 13 in South and 7 in East.
9.50am: AAP wins from Tilak Nigar, reports ANI.
9.40am: In early results, BJP registers win from Janakpuri West and Janakpuri East.
9.30am: “People have faith in policies of BJP and its leadership of PM Modi,” Union minister Dr Harsh Vardhan tells news agency ANI.
9.20am: The BJP is maintaining its lead in all the three councils with 54 seats in North, 64 in South and 37 in East. The AAP, meanwhile, has gained to take the second position in all three councils. Congress drops to third.
9.10am: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia meets CM Arvind Kejriwal as AAP suffers rout.
9.00am: BJP has taken a clear lead in the first hour of counting of votes. The party is leading in 45 seats in MCD North, 54 seats in MCD South and 27 seats in MCD East. While the Congress is trailing second in South and East, AAP is second in North.
8.50am: Yogendra Yadav, co-founder, Swaraj Abhiyan tells NDTV, “BJP riding on Modi wave. There is anger against AAP. BJP enjoys the favourable situation.”
8.40am: Trends show BJP increasing its lead in MCD North to 31 seats, MCD South to 30 seats and MCD East to 12 seats. In the second position, AAP maintains its leads in North in 6 seats. Congress is leading in 13 seats in South and 6 seats in East.
8.30am: After the first half an hour of counting, BJP has taken a lead in 16 seats in MCD North, 19 seats in MCD South and 6 seats in MCD East. While the Congress is trailing second in South and East, AAP is second in North.
8.25am: Congress takes lead in South Delhi’s Zakir Nagar. BJP leads in North Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and Sonia Vihar MCD East as early trends come in.
8.20am: After early trends showed a lead for BJP, Manoj Tiwari tells NDTV, “AAP has conceded defeat. Hope to win all 270 seats.” 8.10am: Early results show BJP leading in 2 seats in MCD North, Congress leading 2 in MCD South and BJP leading 3 in MCD East.
8 am: Election Commission (EC) begins counting of votes at 35 centres in Delhi.