India, Nov. 30 -- Polling for the 12 vacant wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is underway, setting the stage for the first direct electoral battle between the BJP, AAP and Congress in the capital since the February 5 Assembly election.

Voting started at 7.30 a.m. on Sunday across 580 booths, staffed by 2,320 Election Commission personnel. By 9.30 a.m., voter turnout stood at 5.40 per cent.

The Delhi State Election Commission announced that metro services would begin at 4 a.m. and the Delhi Transport Corporation would run special buses from 3 a.m. both on Sunday and on December 3, when counting will take place, according to a PTI report.

To ensure smooth polling, 2,265 security personnel have been deployed, along with 58...