Dikshit said Municipal polls, could not be regarded as a semi-final for the assembly elections-India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday sought to downplay the Bharatiya Janata Party's clear lead in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls, saying that civic polls could not be regarded as a "semi-final" for the assembly elections scheduled next year. "It was civic elections and could not be compared with anything else. Last time, the BJP had won the MCD polls, but Congress came to power in Assembly. Congress even went on to win all the seven Parliament seats. MCD polls should be seen only as MCD polls," Dikshit told media here. "I am responsible for the governance and performance of the government... We will see when it comes to state elections. If there were some shortcomings, we will rectify it. We have improved our tally. Corrective steps will be taken," she added. When asked whether corruption was another issue, which led to Congress Party's defeat, Dikshit said: Isn't there corruption in MCD...? Is the BJP clean? Now they have again come to power, let's see what they do." The BJP has swept the MCD polls, by winning 138 seats out of the 272 seats in the trifurcated body. Congress has bagged 78 seats, while BSP has got 15 seats and others including independent, have got 41 seats. In the South Delhi Corporation, which has a total of 104 wards, BJP has won 44 seats, while Congress has won 30 and others have got 30 seats. In North Delhi Corporation, which also has 104 seats, BJP has won 59 seats while Congress has got 29 and others have won 16 seats. In the East Delhi Corporation having 64 seats, BJP has won 35 seats, Congress has bagged 19 seats and others have got 10 seats.

MCD elections cannot be regarded as semi-final for assembly polls: Sheila Dikshit