Delhi votes to elect new civic bodies

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Voting began Sunday morning for elections to Delhi's newly-formed three civic bodies that is witnessing a tough fight between the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

People queued up outside 11,543 booths across the capital to vote for elections of the trifurcated Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Over one crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 2,423 candidates for 272 seats.

While the corporations of north and south have 104 wards each, the east Delhi corporation has 64.

A total of 30,000 armed police personnel have been deployed at the booths to ensure free and fair elections.

The BJP, which rules the corporation, had swept the 2007 elections in the then unified MCD with 168 seats.

While Sunday's election will see a straight contest between the Congress and the BJP, parties like the Samajwadi Party have also fielded candidates.

The polling will end at 5.30 p.m.

For the first time, 50 percent seats (136) have been reserved for women candidates.

Interestingly, the capital is also for the first time witnessing the participation of eunuchs as contestants in the polls.

With Delhi assembly elections due in end-2013, the results will have significant impact on the morale of the parties.

The votes will be counted Tuesday.