New Delhi: About a third of the capital city has voted so far in the Delhi assembly polls, with the Election Commission recording a 33.31% approximate turnout trend as of 1 pm on Wednesday (February 5).
Voting in Delhi’s 70 assembly seats began at 7 am and is set to continue until 6 pm.
According to Election Commission data, the Mustafabad constituency recorded the highest turnout trend as of 1 pm at 43%. Karol Bagh polled the lowest at 25.01%.
Among those who cast their votes are President Droupadi Murmu, Delhi chief minister Atishi, former chief minister and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s CM candidate Arvind Kejriwal, BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva, and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier, over 700 citizens, including transparency activists and former civil servants, had petitioned the Election Commission to ensure transparency in the Delhi assembly elections.
While the BJP, hoping to unseat the AAP, has been campaigning fiercely in the run up to the elections, Kejriwal has used the last six months to consolidate his ground among the urban poor through mohalla meetings, highlighted the state government’s welfare schemes and kept the BJP on its toes by holding it accountable for the deteriorating law and order situation in the national capital.
The Delhi police functions under the Union home ministry headed by Amit Shah.
The Congress meanwhile is trying hard to recover from its collapse after Sheila Dikshit’s loss in 2013, and is putting all its energy to match the AAP’s welfare promises while projecting itself as the only secular opposition to the BJP.
Bypolls in Milkipur, Erode East
Meanwhile, the Erode (East) and Milkipur assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh respectively are having by-elections today.
Election Commission data said they recorded a respective turnout trend of 42.41% and 44.59% as of 1 pm.
The BJP, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam are not participating in the Erode (East) by-election.