Poll battle leaves many a mark on city

Civic workers have to clear 1.9mn posters, defaced walls, nearly permanent digital posters—and they could resurface on results day tomorrow

- Paras Singh

NEW DELHI: While nearly 10 million people exercised their franchise on Wednesday, sealing the electoral fate of 698 candidates, the streets and walls of Delhi now bear the aftermath of a fierce electoral battle. The city is littered with the remnants of 1.9 million posters on defaced walls, and a new menace—“digital posters”—that is nearly impossible to peel away.

Civic workers said public spaces, from foot overbridges and subways to street signboards and market squares, have been left in disarray. They now face the daunting task of clearing up this mess before it resurfaces when results are declared on Saturday.

The most persistent issue for hundreds of workers cleaning up the mess are thin-film digital posters, which have proved far more difficult to remove than traditional paper banners.

Resident welfare associations (RWAs) and civic groups argue that the common solution of covering them with paint only worsens the defacement rather than tackling it. Many are calling for a complete ban on such materials.

A Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official said that zonal teams have been working to clear campaign materials daily since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect.

“We have been removing hoardings, banners, and posters every day, but the sheer volume makes it challenging,” the official said.