The Hindu : New Delhi News : The Day of the Voter in Delhi

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Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
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The Day of the Voter in Delhi

Staff Reporter

– PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

VOTER’S DAY: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her way to the polling booth along with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Delhiites turned out in large numbers to vote for the 70-member Delhi Assembly on Saturday. Chief Electoral Officer Satbir Silas Bedi put the turnout at over 60 per cent.

The high turnout is significant considering that in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections last year only 43 per cent of the voters had turned up. In the last Delhi Assembly elections five years ago, only 53 per cent voting was recorded.

Among those who turned out to vote early in the morning in the VVIP New Delhi parliamentary constituency on Saturday were Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her children Rahul and Priyanka, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

With an average of one polling booth for every 963 voters, the polling staff, despite toiling hard all day long, were unable to see the large percentage of voters through by the time the gates to the polling stations were shut at 5 p.m. As a result, in at least two places -- Keshopur in West Delhi and Bhati Mines in South Delhi – the voting continued till well past 7 p.m..

Ms. Bedi said the polling was by and large very peaceful and only four FIRs were registered at Mandir Marg, Sangam Vihar, Khyala and Mehrauli. Two persons were arrested for poll-related offences and some Bahujan Samaj Party workers suffered injuries in a scuffle in Sangam Vihar.

Stating that she was confident from the beginning about a high voter turnout, Ms. Bedi said it was up to the media to decide if the Election Commission’s rather unusual “Pappu can’t vote….” campaign this time round had made an impact on the younger voters. Also, she added, the pattern of high turnout was not restricted to the rural areas alone; in the urban centres, too, a large number of people cast their vote.

The highest turnout was around 63 per cent in South-West Delhi and the lowest around 55 per cent in South-East. The voting percentage grew sharply as the day progressed. While 22 per cent votes were cast in the first four hours up to 12 noon, the percentage went up sharply to 38 per cent by 2 p.m. and nearly 55 per cent by 4 p.m.

Nearly 105.8 lakh people were eligible for exercising their franchise in 69 of the 70 segments that went to the polls on Saturday. The results of these seats would be announced on December 8. Election in Rajendra Nagar had been postponed due to the death of the sitting MLA and BJP candidate Puran Chand Yogi and would now be held on December 13. The result of this election would be announced on December 15. The Assembly elections this time were keenly fought as the Sheila Dikshit Government wanted a record third term in Delhi. The BJP had fielded Vijay Kumar Malhotra from Greater Kailash as its Chief Ministerial candidate. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also contesting as many as 69 seats.

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