Delhi Elections 2015: Kaun Banega Chief Minister? A Third of Delhi Has Voted

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 07, 2015:  35.8 per cent of Delhi’s 1.3 crore voters had been inked by 1 pm on Saturday, as polling picked up after a slow morning. Rivals BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party have carried into voting day the high-pitched, bitter battle that they waged during the campaign.

 

Arvind Kejriwal has alleged in a series of tweets, "Polling slowed down in many places. Long queues. Its taking 2 hrs in some places. Voters returning...As per rules, 3 voters r allowed inside booth at a time. They r allowing only 1 voter, which has slowed down voting...Even lunch breaks being taken which is against rules. EC shud immediately intervene."

Earlier the BJP’s Kiran Bedi alleged that AAP was distributing cash and "forcing people" to vote. The BJP’s candidate against Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi constituency, Nupur Sharma, 26, accused AAP workers of misbehaving with her and other women.

AAP dismissed the BJP allegations as "far-fetched," and made some counter allegations. Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of distributing alcohol and money to voters.

Arvind Kejriwal, doing the rounds of polling booths in the city, has said, "BJP workers have given up in many places." The 45-year-old is running for Delhi chief minister against the BJP’s Kiran Bedi, 65.

BJP chief Amit Shah met party strategists like Ananth Kumar, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ravi Shankar Prasad at the BJP office to discuss the voter turnout so far. The party links it chances for a win in Delhi to a big voter turnout and is reportedly hoping for at least a 60 per cent turnout.

The last election saw a voter turnout of 66 per cent. But Delhi has voted twice in the last 13 months - for assembly elections and the national elections last May - and an election fatigue was feared.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted this morning, "As Delhi votes today, urging voters to go out and vote in large numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote in record numbers."

The BJP has emphasised that today’s election cannot be billed as a test of PM Modi’s popularity. "It is not a referendum," said prominent Delhi BJP leader Aarti Mehra as she stepped out to vote this morning.

The Congress, which ruled Delhi for three straight terms, is widely expected to finish a distant third in the race once again. The party’s Ajay Maken has, however, asserted that it cannot be written off just yet. In 2013, it managed to win only eight of 70 seats.

Last February, Arvind Kejriwal had resigned as chief minister after 49 days in office. After nine months of central rule, the Delhi assembly elected in December 2013 was dissolved and fresh elections were announced. Votes will be counted on Tuesday.

 

Courtesy: NDTV