Polling began on Thursday morning for the municipal elections in the capital, with the ghost of sealing looming large over the electoral fight that is being seen as a prelude to the assembly polls next year.     

A total of 2,575 candidates, 1,261 of whom are independents, are in the fray for 272 seats in Municipal Corporation of Delhi. However, the main contest is expected to be between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

More than 99 lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise at 9,649 polling booths.

While Congress is looking for a face-saver in the Master Plan in the wake of the sealing and demolition drives, the BJP is hoping for resurgence in the capital through the elections.

The polls will see many firsts, including the doubling of the wards and use of Electronic Voting Machines. Delhi police has made elaborate arrangements for conduct of peaceful elections. Besides over 50,000 personnel of the Delhi police, 34 companies of para-military forces and 4,403 Home Guards have been deployed to maintain law and order.

The Congress took a number of steps in the run up to the polls like selecting young and fresh faces to counter anti-incumbency and hurriedly notifying the Master Plan for Delhi 2021.