Delhi decides today; ruling AAP eyes return, BJP hopes to break 27-yr jinx
Delhi will vote today to decide the fate of 699 candidates as the ruling Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the opposition BJP and the Congress vie for the attention of the 1.56 crore-strong eligible electorate.
EC assured us of fair poll: Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal alleged voter intimidation by the BJP and the Delhi Police, and demanded the EC’s intervention. After taking a delegation to the EC, he said the party had been assured of a level playing field.
While AAP is eyeing a comeback and the BJP hoping to break the 27-year jinx in the national capital, the Congress is fighting for survival in Delhi where 63 of its 66 candidates had lost the deposit in 2020.
Of the 699 candidates in the fray, 96 are women. Among the voters, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh women and 1,267 third-gender people, who will cast their ballot at 13,766 polling booths.
As the D-Day approached, AAP and its INDIA bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT) voiced concerns over “voter suppression” with Kejriwal, in an unprecedented move, petitioning the Election Commission on the issue during the silent period today. The EC, which met AAP leaders, issued a strong rebuttal of Kejriwal’s public accusations that CEC Rajiv Kumar was biased and was seeking a post-retirement job.
Kejriwal alleged voter intimidation by the BJP and the Delhi Police, and demanded the intervention of the poll panel. After the meeting, the AAP chief said the EC had assured the party of a level playing field.
Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray called upon AAP and the Congress — both INDIA bloc partners — and the Independent candidates to stay alert during the voting. He alleged that the “EC was compromised”.
The former Maharashtra minister sought a “close watch on potential voter fraud and bogus voting activities” that, he said, “the EC allows to benefit the BJP”.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which lost the Maharashtra poll to the BJP last year, has alleged EVM and voter fraud in petitions to the EC, which has rejected all charges.
Voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm. The results will be declared on February 8.
On the security front, the traffic police and Police Control Room (PCR) units will actively monitor their respective areas during the voting process.