Delhi MCD bypolls: BJP, AAP win 2 wards each, Congress opens account; counting underway
New Delhi (PTI): BJP and AAP won two wards each, while Congress and All India Forward Bloc emerged victorious in one ward each, even as counting for the remaining wards was underway.
The counting of votes for the MCD bypolls to 12 wards began at 8 am, amid tight security at 10 counting centres in Delhi.
BJP's Suman Kumar Gupta defeated Aam Aadmi Party candidate Harsh Sharma by a margin of 1,182 votes. The saffron party also comfortably won the Shalimar Bagh B ward, with Anita Jain defeating AAP's Babita Rana by a margin of over 10,000 votes.
The Shalimar Bagh B ward was vacated after sitting BJP councillor Rekha Gupta won the assembly polls in February and became Delhi's chief minister.
AAP won the Mundka and Dakshinpuri wards, while Congress' Suresh Choudhary won the Sangam Vihar A ward by defeating BJP's Subhajeet Gautam.
Choudhary polled in 12,766 votes while his opponent managed to get 9,138 votes.
All India Forward Bloc candidate Mohd Imran won the Chandni Mahal seat by defeating AAP's Mudassar Usman by a margin of 4,692 votes.
The BJP was leading in Dichaon Kalan and Greater Kailash, while AAP was ahead in the Naraina ward in the initial trends.
Of the 12 wards where voting was held on November 30, nine were earlier held by the BJP and the remaining by AAP.
The State Election Commission, Delhi, has set up 10 counting centres at Kanjhawala, Pitampura, Bharat Nagar, Civil Lines, Rouse Avenue, Dwarka, Najafgarh, Gole Market, Pushp Vihar and Mandawali.
The strong rooms where the EVMs are stored after polling were secured with adequate security measures, including round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and the deployment of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel.
Nearly 1,800 Delhi Police personnel and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed.
Around 700 personnel have been deployed for counting, and facilities have been provided for the candidates and their authorised counting agents, it added.
The vote percentage in the bypolls was 38.51 per cent as compared to 50.47 per cent in the MCD elections held for 250 wards in 2022.
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1,850 missing mobile phones recovered as Delhi Police focusses on victim-centric policing
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has recovered 1,850 stolen and lost mobile phones worth around Rs 4 crore in past 40 days under "Mission Reconnect", an initiative aimed at returning phones to their rightful owners in outernorth Delhi, an official said on Saturday.
The recovered phones were traced from different parts of the country, including remote areas, through technical surveillance and sustained field operations, police said, adding that the devices were handed over to their owners during a programme at the Sports Ground, New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp.
The initiative focused on a victim-centric approach and aimed at strengthening public trust through proactive policing and coordinated efforts across states, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.
As part of the programme, teams performed 'nukkad nataks' and screened awareness videos on cybercrime, drug abuse prevention, and senior citizen safety, sensitising the public about digital frauds and safety measures, officials said.
The initiative combines technology, investigation and community participation to ensure recovery of lost property and reconnect citizens with their valuables, they added.
