The Hindu : New Delhi News : No rest for the big two ahead of Delhi polls

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Saturday, Nov 29, 2008
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No rest for the big two ahead of Delhi polls

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Sheila Dikshit and Vijay Kumar Malhotra take stock of things before the D-Day

Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Taking stock: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit with DPCC chief Jai Prakash Agarwal on the eve of the Delhi Assembly polls on Friday.

NEW DELHI: “Last-minute preparations are on. It is like a baraat is on the doorstep” is how Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit summed up her feelings on the eve of the Delhi Assembly elections that would decide if the Congress would hold the reins of the Capital city for a record third consecutive five-year term.

Ms. Dikshit had earlier in the day spent about half-an-hour at a bookstore in Khan Market picking up some bestsellers which she said she would be reading in the leisurely days ahead leading to the counting of votes on December 8.

While she would be catching up with her reading in the days after the voting, Ms. Dikshit is confident of the Congress securing another win. “I am sure people will vote for development. As for Mumbai, it will not have an impact on Delhi as people realise the terror attack is one on our country and we have responded to it in a befitting manner,” she said.

Stating that such violence should not be politicised, she said it was a matter of integrity and prestige of the country and so everyone should fight as one.

For her opponent and BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra too it was a day of hectic activity. Though the campaigning had ended on Thursday, he had not time to rest on Friday as well.

“I am in my Greater Kailash constituency busy finalising arrangements. Also, I have spoken to all the party candidates and have enquired about problems that they might be facing,” he said.

Prof. Malhotra, who way back in 1967 was elected Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi which is akin to the present-day Chief Minister, said he was sure that the Mumbai episode would have a major impact on polling in Delhi as “the people are very angry and they will show it [during polling] on Saturday”.

The BJP leader also raised the issue of the Delhi police raising the issue of their allowing only those voters inside the polling stations who are issued slips by the Delhi Government.

“This would have been disastrous and only 20 to 23 slips could have been issued per hour then. But we have spoken to the election officials and they have stated that slips issued by the parties would also be accepted. Also, the parties have been now allowed to place a symbol on their tables outside the polling stations.”

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