Delhi MCD polls: Advantage AAP as civic body map redrawn

The Delhi government on Tuesday came out with the new civic body map that may give an advantage to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party when the municipal elections are held in April and change the poll dynamics.

The rearrangement of the 272 wards across three municipal corporations alters the traditional party “strongholds”, which will further be tested with the entry of AAP.

This is will be AAP’s first civic body election though it contested a few seats in last year’s byelection.

Redrawn boundaries show the number of municipal wards has increased in the assembly segments dotted heavily with slums, unauthorised colonies and rural areas, considered the vote base of AAP.

These areas were earlier Congress strongholds.

The BJP, ruling the three civic bodies for 10 years and facing a challenge from AAP, may have a reason to worry. There is a drop in wards in the constituencies with urban middle-class population, which is known to support the BJP.

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The Congress, wiped out in 2015 assembly election, is keen to make its presence felt. It will have to work hard with AAP adding a third dimension to what used to be a two-party contest.

Delimitation effected wards in 37 assembly segments. In 16 segments, the number of wards has increased by five to seven, while in 21 the number is down to three.

But, the number of wards in the three civic bodies has not changed. The North and South Delhi municipal corporations have 104 wards each against the east Delhi municipal corporation’s 64.