People wait in queues to cast their votes at Shaheen Public School polling station in the Shaheen Bagh area. (Express photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
Delhi Election 2020 HIGHLIGHTS: Nearly 57 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 6 pm Saturday as people of Delhi queued up to cast their votes for the Assembly election. The city recorded 14.75 per cent voter turnout in the first three hours of polling which began at 8 am. Voting officially concluded at 6 pm.
Read | Delhi elections exit poll results LIVE
To ensure safe polling, the Delhi Police has deployed at least 40,000 personnel, 19,000 home guards, and 190 companies of paramilitary forces across Delhi. Apart from this, the Delhi Police have also set up checking drives and flying squads, along with patrolling on boats in the Yamuna. Special security arrangements have been made at the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest sites like Shaheen Bagh with the help of volunteers. 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.
The winning formula for the elections seems to be the tried and tested issues of ‘bijli, sadak, paani‘ as promises like free electricity and clean water have found resonance in the manifestos of all the three major parties — BJP, Congress, and AAP.
Also Read | Delhi decides today: intense campaign over, now for the grand finale
Besides power and water, reducing air pollution is another issue that has found priority in the manifestos of all three parties.
AAP Chief Kejriwal, Prime Miniter Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Moments after exit polls predicted AAP's third term, Delhi's BJP chief Manoj Tiwari exuded confidence over his party forming the government. "All these exit polls will fail… BJP will form the government in Delhi by winning 48 seats… please do not look for excuses to blame EVMs," Tiwari said.
CM Arvind Kejriwal is holding a meeting at his residence on the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Prashant Kishor, Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai are present in the meeting.
After the exit polls were declared which predicted AAP returning to power, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda called for a meeting at 8.30 pm at Pandit Pant Marg. BJP leaders including Vijay Goel, Prakash Javadekar, Hardeep Singh and Nityanand Rai will be present.
Total seats: 70
Majority mark: 36
-ABP News-C Voter: 49-63 seats
-Republic-Jan ki Baat: 48-61 seats
-Newsx: 53-57 seats
-Times Now: 44 seats
-TV-9 Bharatvarsh-Cicero: 54 seats
-India News- Neta: 53-57 seats
The Election Commission informed that a total of 57.06 per cent voter turnout has been recorded. "It is bound to increase. many people are still in a queue. So final data will be different," Delhi's CEO said.
West Delhi: 10 seats
AAP: 9-10
BJP: 0-1
Cong: 0
The NDTV poll of polls predicts AAP in the lead securing 48 seats, BJP with 22 and Congress with two seats.
The exit polls predictions for the Delhi polls will be announced after 6.30 pm on Saturday. Counting of votes will take place on February 11. As per the Election Commission, conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing the result of exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or in any other manner is prohibited between 8 am and 6.30 pm.
The Elections Commission informed that a total of 53.99 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 5.30 pm.
Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel conducted flag marches in sensitive areas in the northeast and east Delhi during polling on Saturday. Flag marches were conducted in Brij Puri, Kalyanpuri, Trilokpuri, Seemapuri, Khajuri Khass, Jaffrabad, Mustafabad, Krishna Nagar and Mayur Vihar in northeast Delhi, Shahdara and other east Delhi areas.
"The personnel, including senior officers, conducted flag marches in sensitive areas. They also conducted patrolling on motorcycles. PCR and quick response teams have also been deployed at sensitive areas" Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range) Alok Kumar said. (PTI)
After BJP leader Smriti Irani retorted to Arvind Kejriwal's earlier tweet, stating, "Don't you consider women so capable that they could decide themselves who to vote for," the Delhi CM replied to her saying, "Women of the family have decided whom to vote on behalf of the family. After all, they have to run the household."
Former President Pranab Mukherjee casts his vote at a polling station at Kamraj lane in New Delhi.
(Source: ANI)
The Elections Commission informed that a total of 29.31 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 3 pm.
Taking a swipe at those protesting against CAA-NRC, senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said those shouting "kagaz nahin dikhayenge" would be defeated in the Delhi assembly election as he appealed to people to show documents while voting. Talking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling booth in Nirman Bhawan, Lal asked voters to keep in mind who can make Delhi the best capital city in the world.
Hundreds of people, protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in many areas across the country, often raise the slogan of "kagaz nahi dikhayenge" (we will not show show documents. "My message to the voters is 'aaj apna kagaz jaroor lekar jayen. Kagaz jaroor dikhayen' (Today, take your document along with you and show your document)," Lal said. In Delhi, there will be a government which can coordinate with the Centre, Lal, who was in the BJP till last year, said. (PTI)
"Today, mentality of not showing documents will be defeated and (those ready to) show documents will win," he said.
The Elections Commission informed that a total of 26.36 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 1 pm.
A first-time voter Raihan Rajiv Vadra, son of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra tells ANI: 'It was a nice feeling to take part in the democratic process. Everyone should exercise their right to vote; I think everyone should have access to public transport and it should be subsidized for students.'
(Express photo by Anil Sharma)
Indianexpress.com spoke to some of the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members — Yogendra Yadav, Ashutosh and Prashant Bhushan — to know how they looked at the Delhi elections and the performance of the party they were once part of. READ MORE
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that the BJP has been mocking him ever since he recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel. Taking to Twitter after casting his vote for the Delhi assembly elections, Kejriwal sought to know what kind of politics the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is doing.'Ever since I have recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel, the BJP is constantly mocking me. Yesterday, I went to a Hanuman Temple. 'Today, BJP leaders are saying that the temple has turned impure by his visit. What kind of politics is this? God belongs to all. God blesses everyone, including those in the BJP,' Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Deputy Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia casts his vote with wife in East Delhi on Saturday. (Express Photo By Amit Mehra)
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa cast his vote Saturday. He tweeted his support for the efficient conduct with which voting was being organised in the national capital.
Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who is eyeing to repeat his party's 2015 assembly performance, voted at the Rajpur Transport Authority polling station in the Civil Lines area. Kejriwal, who is contesting the polls from the New Delhi seat, was accompanied by his wife Sunita and son Pulkit. Before leaving for voting, he sought his parents' blessings. (PTI)
After casting his vote at Yamuna Vihar, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari stated Saturday that his sixth sense was telling him that BJP will form government in Delhi. Talking to ANI, Tiwari, however, refused to name a leader who would become the Chief Minister.
(Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
The Election Commission informed that a total of 16.36 per cent of votes have been recorded at 11 am.
A scuffle broke out between the workers of Congress and AAP near Majnu Ka Tila. Congress candidate Alka Lamba was seen attempting to slap an AAP worker while abusive language was being hurled by unidentified persons.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leaves after casting his vote at a polling booth on Aurangzeb lane.
Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi has cast her vote at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi assembly constituency. She was accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
(Express photo by Anil Sharma)
Delhi's oldest voter: 111 years old Kalitara Mandal, who originally came from Bangladesh, poses for photographs after exercising her vote at CR Park in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
An election officer deployed at a polling booth in Babarpur Primary School in Northeast Delhi died due to heart attack, ANI reported.
The voter turnout at 9 am was recorded as 4.33 per cent. The total voter turnout for the 2015 assembly elections in the national capital was recorded as 67.47 per cent. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on the youth as he appealed the citizens to come out and vote in record numbers. "Urging the people of Delhi, especially my young friends, to vote in record numbers," he tweeted.
(Photo: ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the people in Delhi to exercise their right to vote. Kejriwal focused his appeal on women voters and asked them to talk to their male counterparts about who should be the right candidate to vote for.
ANI reports that voting has not yet begun at the C10 block booth in Yamuna Vihar due to a technical issue in the EVM. Election Commission's technical team is at the spot.
AAP candidate from Rajinder Nagar VS Raghav Chadha cast his vote with his mother at Vidya Bhawan GSSS New Rajinder Nagar, NPL colony.
Here's a glimpse at the assets declared by the candidates in the Delhi Assembly elections. CLICK HERE to see more.
BJP MP Parvesh Verma casts his vote at a polling station in Matiala assembly constituency; BJP and Congress have fielded Rajesh Gehlot and Sumesh Shokeen from the constituency, respectively. Gulab Singh Yadav of AAP is the current MLA and party's candidate from Matiala. (Photo: ANI)
As the national capital goes to vote, security forces have been kept on high alert in Seelampur. The area witnessed violent protests during the anti-CAA stir with cases of arson and damage to public property being the highlight. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Voters in the queue to cast vote at a polling station at Jafrabad in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
You can vote only if your name appears in the Voter List (also known as Electoral Roll). Voters can find information on polling booths, contesting candidates, election dates and timings, identity cards and electronic voting machines (EVM). READ MORE
Visuals from polling station 80 at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi assembly constituency. CM & sitting MLA from the constituency, Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from here. BJP has fielded Sunil Yadav & Congress has fielded Romesh Sabharwal from here.
As the BJP and AAP battled it out over the past month, on ground zero, many voters perceived both parties as complementary and not antithetical to each other. And for many, a vote for AAP doesn’t mean disagreement with the BJP’s stand against protests at Shaheen Bagh, highlighted in speech after speech by Home Minister Amit Shah. READ MORE
Twelve days of campaigning for elections to the Delhi Assembly have come to an end. Most Indians were, no doubt, waiting for the culmination of this campaign in which the development debate was overshadowed by hate mongering and outpouring of communal vitriol. Shaheen Bagh remained the bone of contention, a protest site that incited many of our politicians to make sinister comments like “Desh ke gaddaron ko…”, there were references to “suicide bombers”, and the incumbent chief minister was accused of being a terrorist. Such language should not be used in private space, let alone in public forums. READ MORE
The BJP’s campaign had been dominated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public meetings, in which he had alleged that AAP has not fulfilled its education promises or built a single new school or college. READ MORE
Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, BJP candidate from Hari Nagar assembly constituency was seen offering morning prayers at Fateh Nagar Gurudwara in New Delhi's Tilak Nagar.
Even as campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls officially ended at 6 pm on Thursday, B-tech graduate Jitesh Bhardwaj (27) said the silent period doesn’t affect his “business” with candidates from all three parties. Equipped with booth-wise electoral rolls and phone numbers which, he said, are easily available in the market, he acts as a middleman between telecom operators and candidates. He sends an average of 1 lakh SMSes or voice-recorded messages per candidate, at a price tag of 9-11 paise per message. Read more here.
After a hectic and high-octane election campaign, the capital goes to polls today. To ensure safe polling, at least 40,000 Delhi Police personnel, 19,000 home guards, and 190 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed across the city — apart from checking drives, flying squads and patrolling on boats in the Yamuna. Read more
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