Synopsis
Voting in the Delhi Assembly elections saw a notable increase in participation, especially in trans-Yamuna regions, with key constituencies like New Delhi and Kalkaji recording significant turnouts. Allegations of misconduct were raised by AAP's Manish Sisodia, claiming rival parties engaged in voter bribery.Key Takeaways
- High voter turnout in trans-Yamuna areas
- Notable constituencies include New Delhi and Kalkaji
- Allegations of bogus voting surfaced
- Police dismissed bribery claims as unsubstantiated
- Historic turnout statistics presented
New Delhi, Feb 5 (NationPress) The voting process for the Delhi Assembly elections gained momentum as the day unfolded, showcasing a significant turnout in the trans-Yamuna regions. Noteworthy constituencies such as Arvind Kejriwal's New Delhi observed a turnout of 30.86 percent, while Chief Minister Atishi's Kalkaji saw 28.75 percent participation by 1 pm.
By the midpoint of the voting period, enthusiasm was palpable among voters in North East Delhi, with the Mustafabad seat achieving a remarkable 43.25 percent turnout as of 1 pm, leaving another five hours for voting. Other notable figures included Seelampur at 40.25 percent, Gokalpur at 39.52 percent, and Karawal Nagar at 39.18 percent.
The electoral exercise proceeded mostly without incident, aside from a brief disturbance regarding purported bogus voting in Seelampur and allegations of violations of the election code made by several candidates, including Manish Sisodia, former Deputy Chief Minister and AAP's Jangpura nominee.
Sisodia accused opposing parties of offering cash to voters, a claim the police deemed as “unsubstantiated”.
His party associate and AAP MP Raghav Chadha reported issues faced by the party's polling agents and their assistants in accessing various booths within the New Delhi constituency.
Former Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and his spouse opted to abandon their vehicle, choosing instead to walk to their polling location. They also supported their parents, who were both in wheelchairs, to the polling station at a school near their residence on Ferozeshah Road.
In contrast, Kejriwal’s BJP opponent Parvesh Verma performed religious rites along the banks of the Yamuna before casting his vote at the Nirman Bhawan polling booth with his family.
Congress candidate from New Delhi, Sandeep Dikshit, cast his vote at a booth on Rahim Khan Road and later accompanied other prominent party figures, including members of the Gandhi family – Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka – to their respective polling locations.
A brief uproar was reported at a polling booth in Seelampur, where an individual was caught voting under a false identity. This incident took place at Aryan Public School, confirmed Booth Level Officer, Gayatri.
In the North District, the election department’s flying squad responded to a complaint at the Sainik Vihar polling station in Shalimar Bagh, alleging that police were coercing a voter to support a specific party. The North District Election Office later deemed the complaint as unfounded.
By 1 pm, the North East district reported the highest turnout at 39.51 percent, followed by Shahdara at 35.81 percent, South West at 35.44 percent, North West at 33.17 percent, South at 32.67 percent, North at 32.44 percent, South East at 32.27 percent, West at 30.87 percent, Central at 29.74 percent, and New Delhi at 29.89 percent.
The overall turnout in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections was recorded at 62.82 percent, which is a decrease of 4.65 percent from 67.47 percent in 2015. The turnout for 2013 was 66.02 percent, representing an increase of 8.42 percent from 2008, which saw a turnout of 57.6 percent.
In the 2020 elections, the AAP secured 62 out of 70 seats with a vote share of 53.57 percent. The BJP obtained 8 seats with a 38.51 percent vote share, while Congress garnered 4.26 percent of votes and others received 3.66 percent.
During the 2015 elections, the AAP claimed 67 seats with a 54.34 percent vote share. The BJP won 3 seats with a 32.19 percent vote share, while Congress captured 9.65 percent of votes and others accounted for 3.82 percent.