The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is one of the largest municipal bodies in the world, serving an estimated population of more than
11 million (as per the 2011 Census) residents in the capital city. While the polls for 250 wards are scheduled on 4 December 2022, the final results will be announced on 7 December.
The municipal elections have taken a new political significance with the recent merger of Delhi’s three municipal corporations. The elections were initially scheduled to be held in April 2022. However, after learning the
Union government’s proposal to merge the three local bodies, the State Election Commission postponed the municipal elections indefinitely. The AAP government widely criticised this action of the Union Government as a tool for delaying elections since there was neither any public notification regarding the merger intentions nor any such agenda had been proclaimed in the current budget session of the Parliament.
The AAP government widely criticised this action of the Union Government as a tool for delaying elections since there was neither any public notification regarding the merger intentions nor any such agenda had been proclaimed in the current budget session of the Parliament.
It may be recalled that the MCD was established as a unified body in 1958. However, during
Sheila Dikshit’s stint as the chief minister, the MCD was trifurcated in January 2012. This act of trifurcation was
stated as an attempt to redraw political borders so that the then-Congress administration in Delhi could make inroads into the civic body, which was traditionally a BJP stronghold.
It has now been reunified with the passing of the
Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by the Parliament, which merged the three municipal corporations of Delhi into one single entity. The unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi was formed on 22 May 2022 by combining three civic bodies: the North, South, and East Municipal Corporations.
The tenure of three municipal bodies ended on 18 May 2022. The last municipal elections in Delhi were held in April 2017. The
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landslide of two-thirds of the total number of wards in the three corporations of North, South, and East Delhi. For the previous 15 years, BJP has been ruling in the MCD. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been completely dominating the assembly segments since 2015 and is governing Delhi over seven years, is the main contender against BJP. The party contested the MCD elections for the first time in 2017 and could win only 49 wards (out of total 272 seats). Thus, despite AAP’s hegemonic presence in the assembly segment, it is yet to get a firm grip over the local bodies. The party, as evident from its
high-profile campaigns, is trying everything at its disposal to wrest the MCD from BJP. Whereas for BJP, retaining its grip on MCD is prestige battle and the saffron party is
leaving no stone unturned to do this.
The party, as evident from its high-profile campaigns, is trying everything at its disposal to wrest the MCD from BJP.
Key issues in the elections
The three major parties—AAP, BJP and the Congress—are the main contending parties in the MCD elections, although the fight seems to be a two-way contest between the incumbent BJP and AAP. In terms of key issues in the elections, most parties have their focus on road improvement, sanitation and garbage management, air pollution and corruption-free MCD (see the table below). The manifestos of key parties contain routine issues impacting the quality of life in Delhi, although there are plenty of promises which appear populist and freebies in nature. For instance, AAP is using the ‘house tax’ as its trump card. Despite the fact that property taxes account for
26 percent to 30 percent of the revenue generated by the three municipal corporations, AAP has vowed to abolish the entire system and waive off all pending dues. Congress has stated that it will exclude senior citizens and those who have not rented out their houses, whilst BJP has indicated that it will not raise the taxes at all. On major financial problems afflicting MCD, BJP has vowed to “provide a framework for direct transfer of cash from the Centre to municipal corporations”, notwithstanding its patchy records over the last 15 years. Whereas, AAP has loudly proclaimed to make MCD profitable within a year of its takeover. Congress has promised to make MCD profitable by an assured annual collection of INR 1,600 crore from toll revenue alone.
Party Manifestos in a glance
| BJP |
· The BJP manifesto called “Vachan Patra” (commitment letter) promises to:
· Provide pucca dwellings to all slum residents (under the “Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan” scheme)
· Strengthen the civic body’s administrative capacity
· Ensure efficient waste disposal.
· Relief in property tax and abolition of factory licences to ensure ease of doing business in the national capital. |
| AAP |
· AAP has vowed in its manifesto to work on delivering the 10 ‘guarantees’:
· Making the city clean and removing the city’s three landfills
· Pledged a corruption-free MCD in one year
· Finding a permanent solution to the parking problem
· Major improvement in roads,
· Overhauling MCD run primary schools
· Revamping primary hospitals under MCD. |
| Congress |
· Congress’s manifesto titled “Meri Chamakti Delhi” focuses on:
· Building on the accomplishments of the Sheila Dikshit government
· Ensuring pollution-free Delhi
· Ensuring a corruption-free Delhi, middlemen-free Delhi,
· Garbage-Free Delhi,
· Pandemic-Free Delhi,
· Debt-Free Delhi.
· Waiving off pending house tax including penalties. |
When it comes to capital’s most daunting challenge of waste management, parties have very divergent promises. It needs to be mentioned that landfill sites are a huge concern because of the fact that approximately
6,000 tonnes per day or 21.6 lakh tonnes per year of municipal solid waste end up in Delhi’s three major landfills. The BJP which has been controlling CD for last 15 years has stated that the party will manage
100 percent of garbage through a waste-to-energy conversion mechanism to establish a green and clean Delhi. Whereas, AAP has promised to remove three landfill sites in the city by initiating innovative ways of waste management. The Congress Party claims to address this issue by making MCD into what it calls “
Meri Chamakti Dilli” (shining Delhi).
Similarly, on healthcare, the parties have made very divergent promises. While the BJP manifesto promises to provide health cards to residents, AAP has vowed to free all tests and medications in MCD clinics, hospitals, and mohalla clinics. The Congress has promised to completely revamp capital city’s primary health centres.
The BJP which has been controlling CD for last 15 years has stated that the party will manage 100 percent of garbage through a waste-to-energy conversion mechanism to establish a green and clean Delhi.
AAP’s manifesto differs from the other parties in significant ways by setting a timeframe for many of its core pledges, akin to ‘Outcome Budget’. It promises to make Delhi garbage-free in a year and to eliminate dengue and chikungunya by 2020, among other things. Not to be left behind, the BJP has promised to provide
free flats to slum dwellers under slum rehabilitation project.
In short, promises are galore for Delhi residents who face perennial problems of environmental degradation particularly air pollution, garbage, and sanitation issues round the year. While the three main contending parties have proposed diverse solutions to address many of national capital’s structural and operational governance challenges, there seems to be little enthusiasm the residents which is reflected in low turnouts in rallies and door-to-door campaigns by parties and candidates. Given that the municipal bodies play a very critical role in improving urban amenities and quality of life, one hopes to see more citizen participation in the upcoming polls.
Khushboo Sharma is research intern, ORF
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