One MCD to rule them all: How 3 Delhi municipal corporations were reunified into one

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls is set to be held on Sunday, November 4, and the national capital is well prepared as all poll authorities and security forces are geared up for the elections. 

For those unversed, the MCD was earlier replaced by three bodies, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) in 2012, however, it was reunified once again on May 22, 2022. Home Minister had introduced the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in Rajya Sabha and slammed the Delhi Government for giving a step-motherly treatment to the three MCDs.

The Central government unified the three municipal corporations earlier this year into the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the number of seats was reduced from 272 to 250.

The MCD is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to an estimated population of more than 11 million people in the national capital. The erstwhile MCD, established in 1958, was trifurcated in 2012 during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as the Chief Minister. 

Preparations for MCD polls 

Meanwhile, a senior police official said that for the MCD polls, "Nearly 40,000 Delhi Police personnel, about 20,000 home guards and 108 companies of CAPF and SAP are to be deployed." Sixty-eight model polling stations and as many pink polling stations covering all eleven assembly segments have been established for the quality experience of voters, poll officials said. The results will be announced on December 7.

According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), ahead of the polls, the BJP has the highest number of millionaire candidates in the fray, followed by the AAP and the Congress. Of the top three richest candidates, two from the BJP and one from the AAP. 

In the civic election in 2017, the BJP won 181 of the 270 wards. No polling could be held on two seats due to the death of candidates. The AAP had won 48 wards and the Congress 27. 

(With PTI Inputs)