Delhi elections: Intense campaign over, now for the grand finale

The days leading up to the elections have witnessed anti-CAA protests in parts of the city, two shootings at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh, and provocative sloganeering that earned the ire of the Election Commission.

In order to ensure that February 8 goes by smoothly, especially at Shaheen Bagh, special security arrangements were put in place by police as well as volunteers at the 55-day protest site. On Friday, at least three SHOs of South East district were stationed at Shaheen Bagh, and the layers of barricades leading up to the site were guarded by the paramilitary force.

For 55 days now, hundreds of women have been protesting, and for Saturday, there’s a plan in place — “sit-in time”.

Read | Delhi decides today: In EC-silent zone, phones buzz with bulk text messages

A volunteer at the protest and local resident Heena (45) said, “We don’t want any violent party to take advantage of the election and disturb the women. In the morning, the youngsters will go and cast their vote while the elderly will sit here. After 2-3 pm, the youngsters will sit here and the old women will go. To encourage a good voter turnout, we have booked eight e-rickshaws, which will ferry the women back and forth.”

Poll officials at Shaheen Public School, Friday. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

Help with the sit-in is also coming from farmers visiting from Punjab. “We don’t trust the police and their security arrangements. We will sit here the entire day; we won’t go to our tents or leave till there’s an adequate number of people on the ground,” said Gurwinder Singh, a protester from Munga, Punjab.

READ | In complex capital landscape, vote for AAP may not mean disagreement with BJP

On election eve, hours before Carnatic musician T M Krishna performed at the protest site, a volunteer got on stage and said, “Though the whole idea of our citizenship is in danger, we can’t forget that we still have to commit to our duties. We can make or break the government. Let’s vote for people who care for us and will help us.”

Mehrunisa (60), a protester visiting from Vasant Kunj, said that her aching knees had so far discouraged her from wanting to vote, but the protests have given her a boost of strength. “I will go at 8 am,” she said. Post-voting, she plans to return to Shaheen Bagh.

READ | After AAP’s push in schools, education features heavily in all manifestos

While volunteers have opened up a carriageway for easy movement of Election Commission vehicles as the polling booth is 500 metres away, a few kilometres away at Jamia, the protests by students at gate number 7 has temporarily moved to another gate.

A member of the Jamia Coordination Committee said, “The polling booth is 100 metres away from the Jamia protest site so we have moved and will return on February 9.”