BJP was today ahead in all the three municipal corporations of Delhi as counting of votes progressed for the polls held two days ago.

The counting for 272 wards is taking place in 33 centres across the city.

Polling for all the 272 wards spread in three civic bodies -- East, South and North -- were held on Sunday in which 55 per cent of the 1.15 crore voters exercised their franchise.

The trends showed that BJP is ahead in 59 wards in the North while Congress is leading in 24 and others in 14 seats for which trends are available.

Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta's wife Shobha is leading in Rohini Central ward by a margin of over 2,000 votes against her Congress rival Dr Monica Puri. Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi (BJP) is also leading in Mukherjee Nagar.

In South Delhi Corporation, BJP is ahead in 47 seats while Congress is ahead in 22 wards while in East, BJP is surging in 28 seays and Congress 16.

Stakes are high for both the national parties in the municipal polls, considered as a semifinal ahead of the Assembly elections next year.

There are 104 each wards in South and North Corporations and 64 in the East, of which 138 seats are reserved for women. South has the highest number of 904 candidates followed by North (885) and East (634).

In the 2007 polls to the undivided Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), BJP had bagged 36.17 per cent of the around 42.35 lakh votes polled while Congress got 29.17 per cent. BSP's vote share was 9.87 per cent.